Fault (Book 1 of the Vikings Series)

Chapter 15

Elin
The next three days are filled with agonizing boredom as my thoughts of dread eat me alive. The only thing distracting me from what could possibly happen to me in Antrapar is my worry over Vern. I refuse to believe that he’s dead but the man’s words still echo in my head. Most of my time is spent swinging his ring around my finger. If he really was dead, it was my fault for so many different reasons.
I wake up after who knows how long to a thud. Muffled shouts filter into my wooden cage. Several more bangs make the small ship creek in protest. Seconds later, the door is flung open and Ishtar yanks me to my feet. He grabs hold of my ear and pulls me along behind him. I’m forced to follow, bent over at an awkward angle. The stairs prove even more difficult but Ishtar relentlessly yanks me up. The dawn light forces me to shield my face.
“Nap time is over. Time for my payment.” He throws me up onto the deck, finally releasing my ear. I straighten upright and look around the deck of the ship. A group of five new men stand on deck. Amongst them are a few women. All are heavily armed and wear extravagant skins. I lean around Ishtar to get a better look at the city beyond the harbor.
Antrapar. The map that I’d been staring at for weeks now does nothing to serve the kingdom justice. Buildings rise up far into the distance, finally fading out to dot the mountain range that boarders the horizon.
Ishtar grabs my hair and pulls me back towards him.
“Give me my money,” Ishtar demands. One of the women steps forwards and I recognize the face instantly.
“Kori?” I gasp.
“You shut up,” she growls. I recoil further into Ishtar’s grasp. She pulls a blade from her belt and fingers the tip.
“I don’t know, Ishtar. You have what we want now and you’re in our harbor.”
“Don’t you dare double cross me you filth.”
“Do you doubt that anything I’m saying right now isn’t coming from Thorgar himself?” She responds.
“I believe that Thorgar doesn’t have any interest in coming down here to do his own bidding.”
Kori raises an eyebrow.
“Have you told her anything?”
“No. But if a chest of gold isn’t handed to me within the minute, I might.”
Kori chuckles. She motions to someone behind her and he brings forward a small chest. One of Ishtar’s companions takes the chest and opens it. He gives his leader a small nod.
“Pleasure doing business with you,” Ishtar scowls and pushes me forwards. I stumble next to Kori.
As soon as we’re down on the deck I whisper to Kori.
“What’s happening?” I question. She doesn’t answer. “Kori, I’m confused. Why aren’t you in Havredal?”
She scoffs. “I left that prison as soon as I realized you had left.”
“Prison?” I ask. “You aren’t making any sense!”
Kori rolls her eyes.
“My job was to get you here, which I failed at thanks to your mother and her little fire trick. Instead, we had to pay that clown a chest full of gold. I don’t have to explain anything to you.”
“Wait, the fire? That was Singrid?” I gasp.
Kori rolls her eyes.
“Singrid would never put that many people in danger!” I stop walking.
“No one was in any danger except me. It was all a trick. Listen Elin, nothing in that twisted world was real.”
Kori keeps walking down the dock but I stop, completely stunned. Finally, I recover enough to catch up.
“Why are you in Antrapar?” I ask her. She doesn’t respond.
“Kori! Talk to me!”
She turns sharply to face me.
“I don’t have to tell you anything! Just shut up and things’ll eventually be explained,” Kori growls.
I walk quietly in the center of the group of warriors. We snake through the cobblestone streets into the larger part of the village. Kori walks silently by my side. She looks completely different here. Her normally soft appearance is now covered by an assortment of weapons. A long braid snakes its way behind her head and swings to her step. This Kori was a stranger. Someone I had once known, now just another lie I’d believed. What makes it worse is that she obviously doesn’t feel obliged to be anything more.
The longer we walk, the more I begin to let my mind take in more of the village. To be honest, it’s amazing. The houses here are far bigger than anything in Havredal and there are more taverns and meal houses sprinkled among the dwellings. Lots of people mill around the streets, casting odd glances in our direction. Up ahead, a giant wall stretches up to the sky. When we finally come to the base of the mountain a small crowd has begun to follow us. Suddenly, a large creaking splits the air and the gates before us open. They start slowly and then speed up, revealing a giant courtyard and several other buildings inside. The soldiers around Kori and I part to the side. She moves purposefully into the gates and I follow, unsure of what could possibly lie ahead. Once we’re through the structures I see several men on either side of the gates that must be responsible for their opening. They all begin to push them closed as soon as we are through. About half way through the courtyard, Kori finally turns to me while we walk.
“Listen to me very carefully,” she starts.
“Well its not like you’ve given me much of any other option,” I smart, despite the circumstances. Kori scoffs and rolls her eyes.
“You’re more annoying here than you were in Havredal.”
We enter the largest building at the far end of the courtyard. Large pillars line the side of the walkway and the ceilings float high above us. At the end of the hall a tall woman waits for us. Her brown hair hangs completely still as she stares us down. I glance over at Kori, expecting some kind of reassurance. Nothing. The girl stares straight ahead as she walks. I don’t understand any of this.
Kori stops when we’re several steps away from the woman. She gives a small bow of her head and turns to leave.
“Good work, Kori,” the woman says. Her voice sounds exactly like I would expect it to. It’s soft, but I definitely wouldn’t want to be on the receiving side of her anger. Her attention turns back to me and a small smile crosses her face.
“It’s been a very long time since we’ve been together, child,” she says softly. I don’t speak at first. The amount of questions I want answered in my head threaten to overwhelm me.
I shake my head.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I say quietly.
She purses her lips. “You really don’t know?”
I shake my head, nervous that I’m saying the wrong thing. She sighs and rubs her arm nervously.
“Thorgar was worried this would happen.”
The woman walks towards me. She runs a gentle hand along the side of my face, pushing the mess of hair from my eyes. She smiles.
“You remind me so much of Singrid,” she chuckles. “My name is Eesa. I am Singrid’s mother.”