Page 115 of Alliance Bride
He reached for his seax as Staegar lifted his sword, but a voice shouted Staegar’s name. Staegar hesitated and looked back. Silver flashed. He jolted, and Aevar caught a gurgling sound as Staegar stumbled backward. Fathir stood just beyond him, the edge of his sword stained crimson. Swaying, Staegar dropped to his knees and then toppled face first into the dirt at Fathir’s feet.
Aevar gasped for air, blinking the world back into focus. Around him, the battlefield grew quiet. The clang of iron gave way to groans of the wounded, shuffling feet, and the heavy silence of death. Some of Staegar’s men retreated toward the settlement in the distance. Others dropped their swords and shields with a hollow clatter of surrender.
He turned in place as his heart thumped his battered ribcage. His brothers, Kian, and Heida all still stood, streaked with sweat and blood but alive. So did the other jarls. Viljar walked with a limp, his pant leg bloodied, but he waved off help from Heida.
Then Aevar faced his father again. Their eyes met, and he gave him a grateful nod. As Fathir turned to give orders, Aevar closed his eyes and breathed another ragged breath, savoring it after how close he’d come to never taking another. How close he’d come to breaking his promise to Eadlyn. Tipping his head toward the sky, he whispered, “Thank you.”
Night had settled like a heavy blanket over the longhouse, quiet but oppressive. The fire in the hearth burned low. Eadlyn sat near it, staring at the embers. The warmth of roasted meat and fresh bread lingered from earlier, tempting and comforting, yet her appetite recoiled.
The hours since the men had marched off to confront Staegar had stretched like years. Every minute passed with the weight of uncertainty pressing down on her, imagined horrors attacking her mind. What if they had walked into a trap? What if Staegar had prepared more than anyone had guessed? What if Aevar was dead?
She breathed through her nose, forcing those thoughts away, and reached up to grasp the cross necklace she’d put on right after Aevar left. But even when met with faith, the fear was hard to silence.
A gentle hand settled on her shoulder. Eadlyn looked up into Ranvi’s kind eyes. Worry lived there too, beneath the calm surface, but so did strength. Ranvi gave her a soft, reassuring smile and set a steaming cup of tea on the table beside her. “Drink this. It will help calm your nerves.”
Eadlyn took the mug gratefully. The sweet scent of honey and chamomile floated upward, soothing her. She sipped slowly.
“I suppose this isn’t the first time you’ve had to wait like this.”
Ranvi sat beside her. “No.”
“Is there anything that helps?”
Ranvi considered the question for a moment. “Only the understanding that they go because they must. And they go for us. It’s not just battle they face. It’s the burden of protecting those they love.”
Eadlyn wrapped her fingers around the cross again.Please, Lord. Bring them back to us.At least she had the certainty God was with Aevar.
The door creaked open.
She turned with a start. Light from the lamps spilled over the threshold, catching the figures that stepped inside. Runar entered first. Then Aevar. A sharp gasp tore from Eadlyn’s chest, and she shot to her feet. Her knees almost gave beneath her from sheer relief, but she didn’t care. He was here. He was alive.
She hurried from the table, and he met her halfway. Dried blood flaked around his nose and brow and streaked his jaw, but he moved under his own strength. She looked him over, searching for deeper wounds or signs of pain. She spied bruises and scrapes, but his eyes, when they met hers, were clear and filled with warmth. His hands found her arms and drew her in. She stepped into his hold without hesitation.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” he said, quiet but steady.
“What happened?”
“Staegar chose to fight. He attacked me during the battle, no doubt hoping to break the alliance with my death.”
Eadlyn held his gaze unwaveringly. “And you killed him?”
Aevar shook his head. “No. My father struck the final blow.” His hand rose, thumb brushing her cheek. “I thought of you when I faced him, like you said. But my only desire in that moment was staying alive so that I could return to you.”
Eadlyn smiled and melted into him as he drew her in for a soft kiss.
As they parted, she searched his face. “So it’s over now?”
“It’s over. One of Staegar’s cousins is now jarl and has already sworn fealty to my father. He seems to be a much more reasonable man. With Staegar and Sig gone, there will be no more threats from Ormvik.”
“And Oda?”
“No one in Ormvik has seen her. We will keep searching, but no doubt she has fled far from here where she thinks her actions won’t catch up to her. She has no allies left. You do not need to worry.”
A deep breath eased from Eadlyn’s lungs, and for the first time in days, all the tension left her body.
He was home.
