Page 25 of Dragonbound

Erann stepped into the cold wind and deep snow. His disapproval of his mother’s words thrummed through his body. It was her duty to keep them safe. It was her duty to protect them. He couldn’t allow her to give up. If for no other reason than his father would be furious with him.

He breathed as deeply as he dared of the frozen air, hoping it would clear his thoughts. He could sense Hakon’s confusion behind, but his brother trusted him. Too much. He couldn’t reject that trust. He needed to make his mother understand. If Ramon was gone, then it was her responsibility to ensure their family survived.

He didn’t care what his mother said. He would not let her die. She’d lived through too much. His father wouldn’t want her to give up. He’d be furious if Erann allowed her to simply wither and die.

But what could he do? Who would help him? Who would help them? His thoughts ran in a riot. He rejected most, and then, as he began to shiver, his cloak forgotten about inside the steading, he finally understood what he could do. He’d take his mother to his uncle’s. From there, they’d journey to the Full Council meeting. They’d have to make use of the crops from the collective farm this rotation, but he didn’t care. Saving his mother was more important than maintaining his family’s honour.

He’d do whatever it took to keep what remained of his family together. Perhaps they could even spend the next Long Night with his uncle. With the company of his aunt and cousins, maybe his mother wouldn’t sink into her dark moods so quickly. The thoughts cheered him. It felt right.

Resolved, he glanced at the sky once more, taking in the flashes of light on the horizon. At last he strode back to the tunnel, and with a gentle push, Hakon opened the door wide enough for him to step inside. There was much to do if he was going to leave tomorrow morning, and that was exactly what he planned to do, no matter how much his mother was going to argue with him.

18

ERANN

Thorkell and Thora, his uncle and aunt, welcomed them with open arms and tears of joy, even though their arrival was unexpected. As soon as he saw the concern etched on his aunt’s face, Erann knew he’d done the right thing. His mother was monosyllabic and as pale as the white of her hare fur cloak in the brightness of the short day.

Whereas his mother had always been slim and almost waif-like, Thora was much more robust, engulfing him in her exuberant embrace.

‘How long has she been this bad?’ she whispered in his ear.

‘She’s become worse as the Long Night’s worn on,’ Erann answered. ‘I was going to wait until the Full Council meeting to seek Anya’s advice, but I think I need to find her now. Which means I need to go to Rankil’s.’

His aunt grimaced and pulled back at the mention of Rankil’s name, but she patted his arm and nodded. ‘Good lad, she’ll know what to do. I’ll keep Ingun here until you get back. I promise to look after her and make her eat more.’

‘Thank you.’

He dodged out of the way of his younger cousins, who were careening around the kitchen table with excitement. Hakon met his eyes hopefully. He gave a brief nod of encouragement and Hakon tore off after them.

‘Are they always like this?’ he asked.

Thorkell laughed and clapped his shoulder. ‘Only when they’re awake.’

Erann laughed and looked around at him, at Thora pushing a plate of peat cakes at his mother, trying to make her laugh, at Hakon playing with other children. Gods, he’d missed being around other people. His whole family had. Perhaps now was the time to move out of their isolated steading and into a larger community.

‘It’s been a long Long Night,’ his uncle murmured, later, his eyes on Erann’s mother where his aunt spoke to her at the other end of the table. ‘It’s been weeks longer than it should be. Food’s growing scarce. Thank the Gods for today’s Dawning. Has your food run out?’

‘We’ve been living off scraps for days, yes, maybe longer,’ Erann admitted. ‘It’s felt like a long time between Sunset and Dawning, much longer than usual, in any case. I hope we won’t be too much of a burden to you.’ He felt a renewed twinge of guilt. He’d brought their animals, but really, that simply added to the load his aunt and uncle already bore.

His uncle’s familiar face split into a broad grin.

‘You’re family, Erann. You, your mother and young Hakon. It’s never a burden to be with family. It won’t be long and the animals will be free to roam the Long Day meadows. It’ll do them good.’

They lapsed into a comfortable silence; Erann gave in to the urge to speak of his father’s journal.

‘Uncle.’ His words were soft. He didn’t want his mother to see what he had. ‘Tell me, do you know what this is about? I found it in the loft.’ Ruefully, he ran his hand over his forehead, but the bruising had almost disappeared. He handed the precious journal into his uncle’s hands, beneath the table. He’d resolved that it was too important to leave in their steading. With it at his side, it felt like his father was with him.

Thorkell’s face furrowed in confusion as he fingered the soft cover before reverently touching the silky soft pages inside with a look of wonder on his face.

‘Whatever this is all about, it’s exceptionally old, Erann. Gods know how long this has been in your family.’ He turned the book over in his hands. ‘It’s probably something to do with being the jarl. There’s much your father would have done that us regular farmers in the quarter knew nothing about. There are secrets every jarl must keep to themselves. It’s always been that way. What will happen now, I don’t know. Ramon wouldn’t have told Rankil.’

‘So, you don’t know what my father was recording?’

‘I’ve no idea, Erann. Sorry. But it must be important, if your father kept it. You’ll let me know if you ever decipher it, won’t you?’

Thorkell unwillingly handed Erann back the journal.

‘About your journey to Rankil’s. What will you say to your sister?’