Within the Bone

IV. A Blow

"This prophecy is the word of a god enraged by the presence of a soulless abomination at a sacred site!" Gareth shouted.

Mara watched her father's eyes. He didn't even spare her a glance where she stood holding her jaw cupped in both hands, flesh already bruising from Gareth's fury. Instead, his glare focused on his brother. "Kalevi's hut is not what I would call a sacred site," he said with a sharpness to his tone that meant his own anger was present, if kept leashed. Luukas Fire-Bringer had a fury worthy of legend, but it was not easily roused and the offense he took was more about Gareth publicly denouncing his decision than the assault on Mara.

"You should have sent me," Gareth snarled. "Or Viljami. Anything but that." The last word was spat at Mara more than her father.

Mara tried to ignore the blood welling from her split lip even as she cupped her hand to stop it from splashing down onto her shirt or the floor. The taste of copper always made her sick to her stomach, more an association with shame and humiliation than any objection to the flavor itself.

"If the gods are angry, Gareth, I trust they would have more reason than a single blighted branch."

"It should have been exposed at birth! But your wife—"

The chieftain rose to his feet, towering in his rage. "Mind your words!" he thundered, hand falling to the hilt of his sword. "Brother or not, I will cut you to pieces for slandering my wife!"

Mara felt a stab of bone deep pain in the darkest part of her heart. She slunk back towards the edge of the great hall as the warriors of her city parted to give their chieftain space.

"Blights spread," Gareth said more quietly, spreading his hands in a placating gesture and taking a step back. "That is why they are cut away. Yet this one remains and has brought doom upon us all. Something must be done."

"Kalevi said nothing of the source except Void," her father said, tone still hard as stone. "That means demons. Whatever you say of the spell-breaker, surely you have shed enough blood to know the weakness of the cursed flesh, not the unfeeling power of sorcery."

"It is still a creature of that power. What else but the taint of Void could make a body without a soul?" her uncle said. His body was still rigid.

"Spell-Breaker, leave us," the chieftain said bluntly. "Your presence offends Gareth to the point of losing his senses and I would have him with his wits if we are to face off against the greatest of evils."

Mara bowed, still cradling her jaw. She hurried out of the hall, out of her father's house. She still had all of her gear waiting at the wall around Gaius's home from the trip. There was no reason for her to stay in Sjaligr with her uncle on the warpath. She hadn't seen Viljami, but he had spent his whole life under her uncle's tutelage and was always inclined to take his side.

The bleeding stopped by the time she made it to the fence. She stopped long enough to rinse her hands in the water trough, more interested in getting blood off her hands than anything more civilized. She slung her shield and belted on her sword, grabbing the pack empty of rations except for a full water-skin.

Gaius called her name from his doorway, but Mara made no attempt to listen. Instead, she ran without thinking of anything but being away. The ache was a shock through her face with every impact of her foot against the earth, but the physical pain was always easiest to deal with. She knew distantly that her mother would worry, but she couldn't find it in herself to care.

Her pain pushed her further and faster than her usual jaunts out into the woods went. She barely slept on the path, letting her feet carry her north and higher in elevation, back towards the Sylfr River. She waded across it ready for any beast that might come her way, careful to carry her sword in its scabbard and her shield over her head. She didn't have her bow to hunt with, but she could always fish or make snares.