The Girl the Sea Gave Back(61)

It wasn’t until one of the men looked up that his hands stilled, his face half-lit by the fire. His attention went to the bow slung over my shoulder. “Who’s this?” His blue eyes traced over my marks before they found my face.

“Her name is Tova.”

“Are you…?” His stare was more curious than fearful.

“She’s Kyrr,” Halvard answered, working at the clasps of his vest.

The two men looked at one another before the fair-haired one smiled and I realized that he hadn’t told them about me. Or what I’d done. If he had, they would have had their swords drawn already.

A knock sounded at the door and I pressed myself to the wall as Halvard reached for the latch. “You want to help us? This is your chance.”

The door swung open again and a tall, broad man with an unruly black beard stood in the mist with a few others, waiting. “Ready?” But his face changed when he saw me, his eyes widening.

“She’s come from the Svell camp.” Halvard tipped his chin in my direction for me to follow and we fell into step with the bodies moving quietly in the dark. “Call them up, Latham.”

The black-bearded man signaled one of the others walking beside him and he disappeared before we came through the doors of the ritual house. The door slammed closed behind us and the warmth of the altar fire wound itself around me, but I was still too cold to feel it.

They gathered around a table where a map was unrolled before them, their voices all bleeding together over the sound of the fire. I found a place in the shadowed corner, my numb hands clasped before me.

“Tova.” Halvard found me over the heads of the others and I stepped forward, swallowing hard. “How many Svell are camped in the eastern valley?” The others quieted as Halvard spoke and I froze as I felt the weight of their stares. They stepped to either side of the table, making room for me.

“Seven hundred and sixty,” I answered, repeating the number I’d heard Siv report to Vigdis.

“Here?” Halvard pointed to a place on the map, at the edge of the forest.

“Not that close to the water.” I set my hand on his and I felt him stiffen under my touch as I moved his finger north. “But they’ll come from the south.”

He pulled his hand from beneath mine before his fist clenched at his side.

The one he’d called Latham leaned into the table. “Forcing them to the bottomland will make it harder for them to push through.”

“It will make it harder for both of us,” Halvard answered.

I arched an eyebrow, watching every village leader look to Halvard as he spoke. As if he was one of them.

“Were you there when they attacked in Utan?” His attention returned to me.

I stiffened, not wanting to remember it. I wanted to erase that night from my mind the way everything else had been. I gave a single nod. “I was.”

“What did they do?”

“I…” I stammered, unsure of what to say. Unsure of what they’d think.

This is your chance.

Halvard’s words repeated in my mind.

“They stormed the village. Their warriors took down every Nādhir before they set it all on fire.”

I watched Halvard flinch against the words, though he concealed it well. “How did they set it on fire?”

“Pitch arrows,” I answered. I could still hear the whistle of them flying through the dark.

He looked back to the map, thinking.

Latham nodded in reply. “What do you want to do?”

My gaze tightened at the question, studying them. Latham looked up at Halvard, patiently waiting for his answer, the way Siv did with Vigdis.

I swallowed hard. He wasn’t just one of them. He was leading them.

“Here.” Halvard pointed to a dense area of forest between the fjord and the valley. “If we can keep them behind the tree line until at least half of them are dead, we will have a chance. Their arrows won’t be able to reach the village from there.” His hand slid to the open clearing before Hylli. “We’ll keep a quarter of our warriors waiting here. The rest, to the first line in the forest.”

They considered, a heavy quiet falling over the ritual house.

“What do you think?” he asked, searching their faces.

“Good.” Latham nodded and the others followed. “It’s good.”

But there was no good plan to be made. The options were few. Keeping the fight in the forest was the best they had.

The sound of a bell rang out in the village, the sharp clang echoing around us and without pause, they moved as one toward the doors.

Halvard picked his axe up off the map, taking my arm and pulling me with him.

“You’re chieftain,” I said, lowly.

He let me go, fitting the axe back into its sheath. “Today I am.”

“Why won’t you let me cast the stones? I can help. I can—”

At that, he turned, looking down at me as the others filed out. I stilled when I felt the brush of his breath on my skin, trying not to lean into his warmth.

“I told you. I don’t want to know. I trust the gods.” His eyes ran over my face for a long moment, his jaw clenching. “Thank you for your help.” He turned to the door. “Stay north and you should miss them.”

“What?” I took hold of his vest before he stepped outside. “I’m going with you.”