Page 16 of Dragonbound

‘Wait, you spoke to Rankil?’ Sereh felt the bile rise in her throat.

‘I did, but I didn’t say anything about you. But come inside. There’s not much food but I’m sure I can find something. You must be famished.’

‘I thought you were going to tell him you’d seen me,’ Sereh said, relief washing through her at the knowledge her survival remained a secret, as she followed him towards the squat, turf-roofed steading and through the outer door, tunnel and firm door that was closed on the main building. It opened with a shriek, and she peered into somewhere she remembered from her much-happier childhood.

‘I feared you’d tell him you’d seen me and he’d come looking. He must think me dead by now.’ It felt easier to speak to Erann’s back. Only then, she realised what he’d said. ‘But wait, what do you mean, you know all about Rankil and what he made me do?’

She shuddered at the knowledge Erann knew she’d exposed babies. The small boy on the first day of the Long Day had been far from the first such child. It might not have been her choice, but still, she’d wanted to be the one to tell others of Rankil’s crimes. Erann’s words made her deeply uncomfortable. Perhaps, after all, she’d have to keep it a secret.

‘Anya told me.’ Erann spoke in a very matter-of-fact way, no hint of accusation in his voice, as he turned to face her, having opened the door to his steading. A scent she wasn’t expecting washed over her. She’d not realised Erann was returning to an empty steading. She’d forgotten he’d told her he was travelling from his uncle’s. Still, she blushed. What must he think of her? But Erann hadn’t finished. He looked as though he was about to reach out and hold her hand once more, but instead, he turned back to opening the door, the tunnel to the interior of the steading, and then the inner door.

The scent of long-eaten meals and abandonment washed over Sereh. ‘I didn’t mention you, no. I’ve no interest in helping the odious bastard.’ Now, he took her hand, and she couldn’t help but notice the warmth of his touch, and the spark of something that did more than warm her cold fingers. ‘But, Sereh, nobody should be made to expose an unwanted child. It’s a terrible thing he made you do.’

A sob escaped Sereh, as she recalled the terrible moment she’d placed the baby down on the peak, having kissed him one final time, and turned her back on him. His death would have been swift, but it would still have been horrible. She only hoped he’d stayed asleep and never woken. Never felt alone or afraid. Never cried for the warmth of Mult, who’d fed him while he remained within Rankil’s steading.

‘You had no choice, Sereh.’ Erann met her gaze, forcing her to look into his eyes, as he stood in front of a large wooden table where she’d once sat and eaten meals while her parents still lived, and her father held the honoured position of quarter scribe. ‘It was your life or the child’s. There’s nowhere you could have gone. No one would have welcomed you, no matter what your reason – not at this time of the rotation. It must’ve been terrible. I understand why you ran away from him when you had the chance. It was a crazy thing to do, so dangerous, especially on Vatna Jokull. You were brave.’ His voice dropped to a whisper. He released her hand and moved further into the steading.

Sereh nodded and swiped the tears from her eyes. ‘And you’re sure he doesn’t know I’m still alive?’ Her voice trembled as she asked the question.

‘I didn’t tell my sister I’d met you on Vatna Jokull, and I certainly wouldn’t have told that bastard.’

Sereh’s fear slightly abated now she knew her secret was safe. But still. Erann’s steading seemed to be abandoned. Where was his mother, his younger brother? She was sure he had one. Hadn’t Aras mentioned him?

But Erann wasn’t finished. ‘What I don’t understand is how you survived that first night or how I survived on Vatna Jokull at all. Do you?’

Sereh shrugged. ‘I know how I survived: Arrow found a cave, and we slept in it – keeping each other warm. But I don’t know how you survived. Have you remembered nothing?’

Erann met her frank question with an unfathomable expression on his face and then dropped his flashing jade eyes back down to the journal he still held.

Sereh waited, the sound of their breathing the only noise. After a long moment, she realised he wasn’t going to say more.

‘Where is everyone?’ Sereh decided to change the subject.

Erann eyed her appraisingly. Then he shrugged. ‘After visiting with Rankil, I have… concerns about his intentions towards my family home and lands, so I came back here, even though my mother and brother are with my uncle and his wife. I fear Rankil intends to destroy this steading.’ He must have noticed the quizzical look on Sereh’s face, because he added, ‘Because of its association with the previous jarl of the Eastern Quarter. It might not stay standing unless someone’s living inside it, and now I know my mother is going to receive the healing she needs, this is my next concern.’

Sereh’s jaw dropped in shock. She knew Rankil was a terrible person, but would he do something like that? ‘Nobody’s done anything like that for hundreds of rotations. It would go against every rule and law we live by. I know Rankil’s a bastard, but surely he would never stoop so low as to burn your steading? He’s already taken so much from you.’

Erann barked a short, bitter laugh. ‘Rankil’s as bad as all the villains in our history combined. Oh, he says the right things at the Quarter Council and comes across as a decent enough temporary jarl at the Full Council Meeting to the jarls of the Southern, Northern and Western Quarters. Admittedly, their concerns are with those who look to them as their leader, and not what’s truly happening, here in the Eastern Quarter. Deep down, he’s plotting. He always has been. I believe my sister when she talks about his ambitions. He kills his own children.’ Sereh flinched at the unwelcome reminder. ‘He takes what isn’t his. He insisted on my father’s exile with the other jarls, even though all know those who spoke against him were suspected of speaking falsehoods. This isn’t a man who baulks at anything. He has some plan, something I don’t understand, but he’s setting something in motion, and the Gods know where it will end. I think he’s coming to take this farm. Then I imagine he’ll burn it down as a warning to all those who oppose his wishes to become the permanent jarl of the Eastern Quarter. Without this steading, without my father, people will have no one else to turn to.’

‘But we’re a peaceful people,’ Sereh protested. ‘We don’t attack one another. We barely keep weapons. Why would Rankil resort to such violence?’

Erann didn’t answer immediately.

‘He already has everything he could want,’ she persisted. ‘And your family steading – what use is it to him? It’s too far from his holdings. He couldn’t farm it unless he gifted it to someone else and took the surplus. He couldn’t travel between the two during the Long Night. It makes no sense for him to take it.’

Erann’s eyes flashed angrily, and she saw his hands were bunched into fists.

‘You’re looking at the land, Sereh,’ he said at last. ‘He’s not.’

‘Then what?’

‘The symbolism of it,’ Erann snapped. ‘He’s trying to erase my father and the history of our family. He wants to rewrite what’s happened throughout the last however many rotations our family have lived here.’

Sereh frowned. ‘Really? Do you think those are his intentions? Does he hate your family that much? He’s married to your sister.’

Erann’s eyes flashed. When he spoke, his voice was implacable. ‘He’s already sent Father into exile, taken his daughter to become his wife, as you remind me. And now he wants to take the home of the former, and rightful, jarl of the Eastern Quarter.’

‘But even so, Erann. I don’t see it, and I’ve lived with the awful man.’