Fault (Book 1 of the Vikings Series)

Chapter 28

I sprint as fast as I can to keep up with Kori. She runs down to the docks and collapses to her knees at the edge. I slow down a few feet behind her, unsure of what I’m going to say.
“Go away,” Kori sniffles, obviously crying.
“Kori, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
I walk a couple steps towards her and kneel down.
“Get away from me, Elin! I don’t want to see any of you ever again!” Kori shouts.
More footsteps echo down the dock and as soon as Kori sees who it is she jumps to her feet. Kori draws her sword and approaches Welch. Welch puts his hands up in surrender, knowing better than to go for the dagger he has tucked in his belt.
"Give me one good reason not to drown you!" Kori yells.
Welch rubs the back of his neck nervously.
"There isn't one," he admits.
"So you just embarrassed me in front of every warrior in the village and you don't have a reason?" Kori asks, completely speechless. What was Welch thinking? He has a death wish.
"You act like it was a bad kiss," Welch says smugly.
"Maybe it was and maybe it wasn't but why the heck would you do that to me?"
Welch looks down at the ground.
"It was a dare. But I didn't want to do it! I really like you Kori."
Kori sheaths her sword and gets close to Welch.
"Obviously not enough to lose whatever stupid game you were playing," Kori says quietly.
My cousin starts walking back down the dock, cloak blowing in the wind. She stops at the end and points to me.
"You. I don't know if you had anything to do with this or not but if you aren't up at the mountain village in ten minutes, Havredal won't stay a secret for much longer."
I follow her right away, not doubting her threat at all. In fact, if Welch were the only one with anything at stake, Kori probably would have already told Thorgar. I don't blame her though. I probably would do the same thing if I were her.
I walk up the path a small distance behind her and don't notice when she stops at the top of the path. Kori doesn't look at me.
"Did you know?" She asks.
"No. They were acting strange, but they knew I'd tell you if I found out."
The rational conversation I had expected is far from what I receive. Kori makes me wait for her by the fire and disappears into the weapons room. She returns moments later with two shields.
"Fight me," Kori demands. She drops one of the shields at my feet.
"What?" I ask, confused.
"Fight me!" This time, she swings her sword eerily close to my face. I throw the shield up, just barely blocking the blade. I roll to the side to avoid her next swing. I draw my sword and block away her attacks. Over the past few months, I've gotten used to fighting Kori but this, this was something different. She doesn't hold back any of her swings and every one of them knocks me backwards. I lose my balance and stumble to the ground. I try to hide behind the shield but the tip of Kori's blade catches my arm. Pain clouds my head and I jump to my feet. My sleeve is already stained red around the long tear in the fabric.
"Are you insane?" I gasp, clutching my arm. Kori doesn't stop coming and I swing my sword at her for the first time, knocking her shield sideways.
“Stop it!” I yell. “This isn’t going to help anything!”
“Who said this has anything to do with that?” She lunges towards me. I step around her swing. I throw my sword and shield to the ground.
“I don’t know,” I say sarcastically. “You’ve never attacked me before.”
Kori drops her weapons and grabs her dagger, throwing it with creepy accuracy. It lands in the tent that Vern, Welch, and Briar share, right above Welch’s bed.
“Why would he do this to me?!” Kori’s voice is full of complete rage.
“Is it really that big of a deal?” I ask.
“Everything I do is a big deal around here. I’m Thorgar’s grandchild. I’m a keeper. I’m a leader on Raid. Things don’t just happen without consequences! If anyone should know that, it’s you.”
“Are you sure that’s what this is about?”
Kori looks like she’s about to grab her sword and throw it at me but stops. She takes a deep breath.
“A dare? Welch decided to kiss me, because of a dare.”
“In his defense, you haven’t really been making it easy.”
“He’s annoying! What do you expect me to do?”
I roll my eyes, hardly believing this conversation is happening with Kori of all people.
“You like him,” I grin, fully aware I should be smacked for saying it.
“Maybe before. But not now. Not after tonight.”
“I give it a week.”
“No. Never,” Kori says. I pick up my shield and start back towards the weapons tent.
“Famous last words,” I mutter, just loud enough for Kori to hear.
I spin at the last possible second, catching her swing on the hard wood of my shield.