Ice Blink

46: Witch of the North

Sigrid presented Nuna with a box.

"What's this?"

"Luckily for you, Balder, Einar and some of the others like to collect... trophies." Her mouth twisted with displeasure. "I stole this from the Jarl's quarters, so take what you need and be quick about it."

Lumi frowned at his sister. "You shouldn't have taken such a risk. If Einar's men had caught you, especially after what we did..."

"But I didn't get caught, did I? Let's hope they thought we were just fighting them because we wanted to be the ones to... to claim you." Her eyes flickered from Lumi to Nuna as his brows lowered in disdain. "That's how their minds work. Let them assume all they want. Besides, Lumi, you're under enough suspicion as it is, being in your mother's territory."

"You're taking such a risk," Toklo said.

"We aren't just doing it for you. Some of us are tired of following Einar's orders, tired of his réttr. He thinks the more blood he spills, the more the gods will favour him, and above all, he wants to secure himself a place in their golden hall when he dies."

"It's time we find a new leader," Lumi agreed, "and the unrest this will cause might help tip the balance."

Nuna flipped the box open.

It was like staring into Qignaaq's shelter – not her house, but the shelter she had constructed in the woods just outside of the village, the one they went to when they had spiritual matters to discuss. The angakkuq dwelling was sacred, and no one else was allowed inside. It was there that Qignaaq shed the mantle of leader and became the angakkuq, but no matter what, she was always the benevolent, kind, caring mentor. A lump rose in Nuna's throat.

A broken mask, the edges charred. A long strip of reindeer hide to be worn as a headband, ivory beads and miniscule wooden ornaments trailing from it in strings. An intricate bone headdress of the same design. Small, lovingly-carved amulets and pouches of ochre. Anger stirred in Nuna's heart. These items were precious and sacred.

Their owners, their creators, had been mercilessly killed.

"As if the northern war wasn't enough," Toklo murmured.

"I know." Nuna took a deep, steadying breath. "This will work, I'm sure of it." She removed the headdress and pouches, then handed the box back to Sigrid, wincing when the foreigner's fingers closed over it. Her people should have been buried with their amulets, to protect them in the spirit world. But Sigrid had to return the box before someone noticed its absence.

While Nuna worked on the plan, Toklo sat beside her.

"What are you, my shadow?" she asked.

His smile was strained. "I want to protect you. If anything happens, if you're hurt..."

"Stop it." But her heart was pounding so violently she felt sick.

"Nuna, I know nothing can make up for the way I acted towards you... and Aniu, in Nualik."

"Apologise to Aniu after we find her, not me."

"But I hurt you, too," he persisted. "I never took you seriously, and it was wrong. I want to help you, I want to do more good than bad, to be a Inua, not just the..." His throat worked. "The bully."

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of chance to prove yourself. We are risking our lives by doing this, after all."

"I just want you to know I'll always be here to support you. To stand up for you. I'll make sure none of them touch you out there."

"I appreciate it, Toklo, but it's time I learned to stand up for myself."

Toklo wrung his hands. "There's something else."