Darkness carved in bone

Chapter 43

Ten

Ten was back into the cellar he had been laying bound only hours before, but this time he was a free man. Captain Nykson had asked him to join him and the other leaders of the rebellion at an emergency meeting after tonight's events. Ten had a strong suspicion that his words of the prophecy would no longer be met with rolling eyes and dismissal. His mother's actions tonight had made his words from before painfully current and urgent.

The damp cold air of the cellar filled his lungs. He leaned a bit awkwardly against one of the barrels, his arms crossed. He tapped his fingers across his biceps, already impatient. He looked to the four people standing in front of him, their heads turned down to the table before them and pointing to a map, mumbling between them, and not inviting Ten into their conversations.

Ten didn't recognize any of the people around the table, except for captain Nykson. One was an elderly man with a long grey beard. To his left stood a young woman with red curly hair, who had given Ten a suspicious look when he had entered the cellar. The third man, a man about his own age, was the one who shocked Ten the most. His dark hair and brown eyes were nothing out of the ordinary, but his skin was glowing exactly like Helen's. He was a Sòlungr. How could he be in on this? How was this possible?

Ten's thoughts were interrupted as the old man cleared his throat and looked to Captain Nykson, a signal that the meeting was to begin, Ten guessed. The mumbling died out, and an uncomfortable silence spread throughout the cellar. Then four pair of eyes looked at him.

Ten immediately stopped tapping his fingers, straightening slightly as he fought the urge to start fidgeting with his fingers again as nerves hit him. Their gazes were filled with distrust and wariness, and he knew exactly how much he needed their approval and support, if he indeed was supposed to get their aid to save Helen. His heart beat hard in his chest as he swallowed to wet his dry throat.

"Tell us everything you know," the redhead demanded. Her voice was surprisingly even, compared to the fury that was burning across her face.

Ten inhaled as he stood up, straightening slightly as he looked at the four people before him. "You think I am a part of my mother's plan to bring that darkness into our lands?" Ten said with disgust in his voice, his eyebrows flying up to the ceiling. He had suddenly realized why there had been such distrust in their eyes.

"Do you claim to have taken no part in it?" The redhead spat back.

"Hild," Captain Nykson shot in, trying to calm the situation.

Ten ignored Captain Nykson and felt a tinge of anger at himself fill him. "I have never and will not stand for that kind of darkness my mother showed us tonight."

"He did try to warn us," the Sòlung shot in, his voice gentle.

Hild's expression did not change.

"Did you know about it?" The old man asked.

Ten shook his head, "not of that," he simply said.

The old man sighed, his breath shaking as he inhaled. He was scared, Ten realized.

"I know we can stop it," Ten said, keeping his voice steady as he spoke. He had to get them onboard with his plan. He had to get them to trust him.

A tiny spark of hope filled the old man's eyes and the Sòlung. Ten's heart started racing in his chest at that. Both at the responsibility he was taking on, trying to save not only Helen but their lands and everyone living here, and that if hope was enlightened in their eyes, they might be possible to sway to his side. He gritted his teeth and inhaled steadily. "I told you of the Sòlung my mother has prisoner, and it was not the one she killed tonight. We have to save her, and by doing so we can stop my mother."