Dragon Bride

Chapter 18 The Second Ship

Gorm continued to cast the rune stones. With each cast his shook his head and hissed. "Well Gorm, what do you see?" Vada asked.

"The girl must die. Karlie cannot be allowed to live. She is the only thing between you and becoming the king. She has power that she does not realize or understand. She poses a great danger to our plans."

"And her sister?"

"She needs to be managed or controlled. She is not as strong as her sister," Gorm said then added, "What do you really want with her?"

"I told my father I wasn't going to Denmark this morning," Vada said changing the subject.

"Now did he respond?"

"He was upset, furious with me. I told him I wanted to maintain a presence for the family here and safeguard the kingdom and protect my step mother."

"Did that convince him," Gorm asked.

"No, it made him suspicious. But then I added I intended to court a reluctant young woman. That she had refused my numerous advances and I intended to take her to wife the old way. That I have loved her forever and had waited for her to come of age. I told my father I believed she felt the same but being a Jute was convinced her uncle would object. That her sister hated me for some reason in spite of my gestures of peacemaking."

Gorm laughed and looked at him shrewdly.

"My step mother intervened in my favor," Veda added.

Vada accompanied his father and brother to the long ship. They watched as Bjorn and his brother embarked on their ship.

"I take it's Unni you plan to wed," Lothar said pointing at her as she stood with her sister at the dock. "She is a genuine beauty, a real prise. Her sister is a hellcat. I've heard that's common with redheads."

"Yes, I have had trouble with her sister, more in fact recently," Vada said, "but Unni is sweet."

"I know Karlie blames me for her parents deaths," Lothar said, "I feel really bad about that. I actually liked James. I was drunk and threatened him. I apologized but it was too late our friendship was damaged beyond repair. If only he hadn't drown. I think our families would have made great allies. We were like brothers once. The old ways be damed."

"You were right about the old way," Vada said.

"No, I was wrong. Don't trust Gorm. Something about that man..." Lothar said softly and stopped. "I never trusted that man. His words are behind my dispute with the Jutes. He hated James and he hated the Christians. He has a lot of power so be careful. He wants something. I've managed to keep him in check all these years."

"What did my step mother say about my planned courtship?" Veda asked in attempt to change the subject.

"She is delighted you have found someone. You are nearly twenty-six. And I would love to be a grandfather."

"I wish you were coming too," Arne said. "Father and I are considering becoming part of Father Peter's church when we get back from Denmark."

"I prefer the old way," Veda said, "but you can do your best to convince me 'WHEN' you get back."

"I would like to have something in common with you," Arne said, "I've always admired you."

Veda watched silently as his father and brother's long ship left the dock and they began their journey to Denmark. A journey from which they would never return. Veda walked to the mead house and was joined by Gorm. "What now?" Veda said.

"For now we wait," Gorm said, "the rune stones say to wait. All will be delivered into our hands."

"And the sisters?"

"The village will turn on them and deliver Karlie into our hands, be patient. I have seen it all."

Bjorn stood at the stern of the long ship watching Lothar's ship follow them. The swells of the ocean had altered the motion of the ship. Bjorn loved the fresh salty spray as the bow crashed through the rough waves causing tiny rainbows to sparkle in the sun. "Its like flying!" he said to his brother. The wind picked up and the ship leaned more with the pressure of the wind.

"We are indeed flying," Olaf said.

"I am relieved to know that Karlie and her family will be safe with Vada gone," Bjorn said.

"We are slightly longer and faster than Lothar's ship," Olaf said. "That means you be off to your Greenland before they manage to catch up with us."

"I would never have left her if I thought Vada would be able to hurt her."

"I did see him standing at the dock with his father and brother. They were boarding their ship," Olaf said. "Did Karlie ever tell you what is behind the ill will between their two families?"

"No she said it was in the past and was still struggling to forgive Lothar. She refused to tell me more but I suspect she believes Lothar was involved with the death of her parents."

"Has she ever spoken of her suspicions to anyone," Olaf asked.

"She was twelve when it happened. And their deaths were ruled accidental. I believe she has simply tried her best to raise her sister and help her uncle run his holdings. She is not one to cry over spilled milk."

"She is a remarkable woman," Olaf said as he smiled at his brother. "I hope to do as well myself."

"You could join us in Greenland."

"I've been thinking about that. I plan on bringing that up with our father. My older brother has a son now so the line of ascension is safe. So perhaps the spare will be allowed to pursue his own dreams."

"It's funny that you think of yourself as the spare," Bjorn said.

"Well I am. What would you call me?"

"Best friend. Brother," Bjorn said firmly.

Lothar's ship followed them as they drove the long ships south. The distance between the two boats slowly increased and by the light of the next morning each ship was alone on the sea.