Beyond a Darkened Shore(74)

Now that he was closer, I could see sweat beading along his thinning hairline, and a nervous cast to his eyes.

“I only wish to speak with you,” I said, as I took in our surroundings for myself. Was there something I had missed? Something to put this man on alert? I glanced at Arin, but he didn’t seem alerted to any unseen danger. “But first, I want to know your name.”

“Donal,” he said.

His gaze skittered away from mine, and I felt a twinge of pity. “Donal, when the sun rises, we’ll sail north. Dubhlinn will be left vulnerable.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “This is true, my queen.”

Again, I searched the quay for any sign of danger. “What are you afraid of, Donal?” My question seemed to take him by surprise, and he jerked. When he couldn’t meet my eyes, I realized the awful truth. “You’re afraid of me,” I said quietly.

Using fear to command men is for the weak. My father’s words whispered through my mind. Long had I fought under my father’s command, but I’d never seen him use such tactics to gain respect or obedience. I thought, too, of the Morrigan, how even the sight of her caused my skin to erupt in goose bumps. Was that what strangers saw when they looked at me? A monster hidden behind a woman’s form?

“Have . . . have you come alone?” Donal asked. “Not with your army of bones?”

I stilled, and beside me, Arin shifted uncomfortably. “Why would you call them that?”

If possible, Donal grew even paler. “When I look at them . . . I see only skeletons and red flames where their hearts should be.”

I thought of the way I saw my undead army. They were shrouded in mist, and it seemed to take a great effort to make out any details on their faces, but they didn’t look like skeletons to me. “They look like any other warrior,” I said.

“Not to me.”

“You have the sight,” Arin said, awe in his tone. “Were you Sigtrygg’s seer?”

Donal took a step back. “Seer? I—no. No, of course not.”

Arin looked at me with confusion plain on his face. I remembered how Sigrid was respected by the Northmen, or at the very least, tolerated. “The sight is considered heretical in our culture,” I explained. “Something only pagans use.”

Arin snorted. “No wonder you Celts were so easy to raid.”

I gave him a warning glare and returned my attention to Donal. “And what do you see when you look at me?”

“My queen, I . . .”

“No harm will come to you, Donal. I am only curious.”

He took a steadying breath. “Crows’ feathers in your hair, death at your side.”

I nodded slowly. I didn’t need a seer to tell me what such symbols meant. At least he hadn’t said I looked like a skeleton. “And when you think of our quest in the north? What do you see then?”

“I see you riding a horse made of fire instead of flesh, the ground quaking beneath you. Nothing else—nothing helpful. This sight never shows me anything but symbols and riddles.”

He sounded frustrated, and I could empathize. “Thank you for being so forthcoming with me, and I hope . . . I hope to earn your respect instead of your fear.”

He bowed his head as though ashamed. “What did you wish to speak with me about, my queen?”

“When we leave for the north, I would like for you to stay and advise those who remain behind. Will you do this for me?”

“It would be an honor,” he said, a tentative but relieved smile on his face.

I touched his shoulder and was happy when he didn’t flinch away. “Thank you, Donal. Rest in your own home this night, and in the morning, report to the castle courtyard.”

After thanking me, he hurried away into the night, and I turned to Arin. “What about you? Are you ready to sleep?”

Arin shook his head. “I’d rather sleep on the ship as we sail. Helps to pass the time.”

“Then help me find Oleif and Erik. With Donal’s touch of the sight, I think ten men should be able to hold the city, but I want their opinions on who should stay behind.”

I started toward another longship, but Arin’s words stopped me. “I’m not afraid of you, you know.”

I turned back with a smile. “I’m relieved to hear it.”

“That army you have is pretty terrifying, but you aren’t.”

I smiled and rubbed the top of Arin’s head. “Nothing should be terrifying to you after seeing what that monster did.”

He smiled, his teeth bright white even in the dim light. “I could help you fight one next time.”

His arrogance was so like his brother’s it was like a vise upon my heart. “You could not, and you will not. Any more talk like that, and I’ll be sure to leave you behind.”

“You’re as bad as Leif.”

I leaned in close. “I’m worse.” I straightened and moved away. “Now, come. We must find Erik and Oleif.”

He followed reluctantly, and I vowed to myself and to God I would not allow any harm to come to him—no matter how badly he might wish it upon himself.





20





The sun rose much too soon, and by the time I’d finished deciding who’d stay behind with Oleif, Erik, and Donal, I could only rest my head on Sleipnir’s neck and greet the sunrise with an irritable squint. Arin sat on the quay not far from me, his back against a post.