Islands in the Fog (24 page)

"Odin's Wagon hides from us. Without the north star, I cannot know where I steer."

Toki patted Einar on the shoulder and left him. "Wake me if the skies clear."

He checked on Halla, now curled asleep with Dana in the prow. He considered resting with her, but thought better of it. Instead he tightened his cloak and lay under the mast pole.

Toki awakened in what seemed no time at all. He rolled over, facing a light blue expanse with a faint speckling of stars. The sails bulged with strong wind, but the clouds were gone. The thought jolted him. He shot to his feet in excitement. Thin morning light painted everyone as lumps of rosy gray. Toki turned to Einar and his stomach dropped.

He was asleep at the steering board, slumped over the tiller as if he were dead. Toki rushed to him, shook him violently. "Wake up, you fool! How long have you been asleep?"

Einar snapped awake, batting at Toki as he came to his senses. Toki snarled in his face as realization bloomed in Einar's expression. "I don't know. I was exhausted."

"I see that. The clouds cleared and the sun is up. We can get a heading now. But who knows how long you've steered us in these winds. You should've taken in the sails!" Toki silently cursed himself, knowing responsibility for the sail laid with him. He let go of Einar. "Forget that. There's still no land in sight, and we're lost. From here we need to take a new heading, for Norway."

Einar straightened out his shirt and rubbed his face. "Norway? Are you sure we're that far off?"

Toki shook his head. "But we sail straight east and we will find land. Any other direction and we could be at sea longer than we can survive. Landfall in Norway will let us resupply at least. The wind has been blowing in that direction anyway. We can't be south or we would have found the islands we sought. So we are probably halfway to Norway now. We'll just finish the journey."

"And what about Ulfrik?" Toki jumped at the sudden question from behind. He turned and found Runa seated with Gunnar in her lap. The child still fought with sleep, but Runa's eyes were awake and sparkling.

"He will survive while we find help in Norway. What do you want me to say? We can't help him if we're dead. I don't like this any more than you, but there's no choice."

To his relief, Runa nodded and stroked Gunnar's hair. "Ulfrik is strong. He might even escape without our help. Don't think he needs us to succeed."

Toki smiled. "Half of me believes we're on this journey to get out of his way. I bet he will be waiting for us in the hall back at Nye Grenner, a stupid smile on his face."

Runa laughed faintly, though Toki could see the glimmer of tears running over her cheeks. A teardrop landed on Gunnar, and he fussed with an annoyed cry.

He left his sister to her thoughts, then roused Thrand and Njall to share the plan. He let the others remain asleep, hoping they would awaken with shores in sight.

Landfall occurred later than Toki had expected, but in time to avert disaster. They had lost precious rations during the storm, and casks that held mead were now ruined with seawater. First birds had appeared, lifting spirits, then a purple stripe showed on the horizon which they greeted with cheers and shouts.

But a successful landing proved more challenging. Other sea traffic increased with their proximity to land, and Toki feared square sailed ships plying the distant waters. If any turned toward him, he headed the opposite direction. Once he had arrived at the craggy islands splattering the coastline, Toki found it easier to hide. He managed to catch two fishing ships unaware, and while the crews brandished spears, they were not warriors.

Toki hailed them in peace, though the fishermen were wary of such ploys. He maintained distance as he called from the prow. "We were blown off course in a storm. We only want to find a town to resupply. Where are we?"

The men conferred with each other, until a white-haired man shouted back to him. "You've found More; Jarl Rognvald the Wise rules here. Follow the coast, you will see where the trading ships go."

Toki thanked them and then banked his ship north. The names told him everything he needed. After a short time, he pulled into an inlet where the waters were calm and the shore flanked by high cliffs topped with dark evergreens. He and the men dragged the ship onto the fine sand beach, so unlike the rocky shores of the Faereyjar, then assisted the women down the gangplank.

Halla accepted his hand but did not look at him as she trotted down the plank. Toki gritted his teeth and forced a smile, reminding himself he had others who needed him to focus.

Everyone delighted in setting foot on land. Gunnar spent his youthful energy running along the shore under Runa's watchful eye. Toki gathered everyone together with a whistle. Only Gunnar refused to heed him, continuing to run and scream with joy.

"I know exactly where we are now, and this place is not friendly to us. Not if they knew we fought Harald Finehair at Hafrsfjord."

"We didn't fight him," Njall said. "Only you, and your sister if the stories are true."

"The stories are true," Toki said. Runa's lips twisted in a wry smile. "But fortunately, we're not the famous ones. I think it's best if we don't tell anyone we are from the Faereyjar Islands. Many of the high king's enemies fled west, and we would be suspect. Let's use my accent to advantage and be Danes. Let me and Runa talk and no one would know better."

"What if someone talks to us?" Thrand asked.

"Then answer; don't act strange. We're not going to be here long. The rest of the plan is to get supplies and get back to sea."

"What about help to rescue Ulfrik?" Runa folded her arms. Toki noticed that behind her, Halla looked away and rolled her eyes at Dana. The gesture irritated him, but Runa misread it. "Sorry if you don't like my question, but that's the whole point of being at sea. We can't delay any longer."

"Agreed. But as I said, the men here will likely side with Harald. I do not trust them. We will go to the Shetlands as originally planned. Men there will be more reliable, and more willing to travel the shorter distance."

"And as I said, we need to get help for Ulfrik. Gods, Toki! You have us sailing everywhere and getting nothing done. First we will find men here, then we won't. Then we go home, but then we sail to the Shetlands. We need to do something!"

Runa's voice echoed off the cliff faces. A flock of birds shot into the air out of the trees as if irritated. Gunnar finally stopped laughing and stared silently at his mother.

"We are doing something," Toki said, steadying his voice. "We are getting back to our plan. The storm delayed us."

"Praise Thor it didn't kill us," quipped Halla. "This whole trip has been a fool's errand."

Runa rounded on her. "Fool's errand? You little whore! We wouldn't be on this errand if you stayed at home like a proper daughter!"

Halla staggered as if she had been punched, backing into Dana. Toki froze, not knowing how to calm two fighting women. But he knew his sister, once loosed, would not quiet easily.

"Are you shocked? Yet you admit you wanted to escape marriage to Vermund. Toki was just a handy excuse. And now look at all that has brought to us. My husband is enslaved to your shit-eating father. I will gut that bastard myself and make you watch!"

"Enough, Runa!" Toki had come to his limit. "Should we kill each other on this beach? Will that help Ulfrik? We are past the time for blame. But if you must blame anyone, then blame me. Strike me if you think that will help your husband. Go on!"

Runa's face was clouded with fear, twisted with frustration, and red with anger. She barred her teeth like a wolf with a leg in a trap. Toki saw how the stress was turning her into someone else. She shrieked in frustration, then snapped for Gunnar to come to her. He trotted to her side, his head bowed as if he had done something wrong. Toki felt the worst for him. He had to see the adults in his life become scared and angry trolls.

Runa yanked him up into her arms, gave Toki a scowl, then bounded back to the ship. Toki let out a long sigh, scanned the expressionless faces of the others, then turned to Halla. He stepped toward her, but she shook her head. "No, stay away." She put out her hand. "Just stay away from me and don't speak."

He stopped, wavered and looked at the others. Gerdie and Einar boarded the ship while the other two drifted away. "Halla, I am sorry for my sister's words."

"No!" She shook her head, then hugged Dana and started to cry. The slave gave Toki a confused look, as if she wanted to help.

"Halla, listen to me. I cannot ask you to forgive or accept what my sister said. But her life has been hard. She was once dragged away into slavery, and Ulfrik saved her from that life. She fears the future, and fears that she will return to that slave's life, but this time bring her son into it with her. Try to understand.

"I am being as patient as can, because I know how hard this is for you too. We are raising arms against your family. I get it. This is easy on no one."

Halla began sobbing, shuddering as Dana awkwardly stroked her hair. Toki looked away, deciding he could do no more. "Bring her aboard when she is ready. We will find a small village to buy what we need and then go."

Dana nodded and Toki left her with Halla wailing like a child.

Toki skirted the large villages of More, fearful of sour luck turning worse by being named fugitives from High King Harald. So when he spotted the fat ocean-going trading ships and their sleeker escorts angling into a wide fjord, he did not follow as the fishermen had advised. Instead he bumped along the coast to find the smaller settlements he knew would be close.

The mood on his ship was as taut as a sail in a storm. Runa and Halla brooded at opposite ends of the ship. Everyone else found something to engross themselves. No one made eye contact. Toki experienced the frustration as a knot in his chest and a lump in his throat. He hoped resupplying and returning to their mission would ease the tension. He strained to think of another way to soothe nerves but failed, lacking the tact and ingenuity of Ulfrik. Again he found himself wishing he shared his lord's talent with words.

The coastline was flat and welcoming, unlike the brash cliffs of the Faereyjar. He eventually found a strip of beach where he saw ruts leading to the water. Men had launched small boats here and their homes would be near. A sparse woodlands of pines speckled the near distance.

Once
Raven's Talon
was secured on the beach, Toki stretched and inhaled the fresh scent of the trees. "Now there's a fair scent, one I've not enjoyed in many years."

Both Gerdie and Runa smiled, and Gunnar sucked the air into his nose with a snort. "It smells like wood."

Toki laughed and patted Gunnar's shoulders. "Your mother and I grew up in a world filled with these trees. You've never seen one, have you now. Today you'll get to walk among them, even climb one if you like."

Gunnar's face brightened and he peered toward the tree line. His excitement gave him an idea. "Halla, have you ever seen trees like these? You've never seen a forest before, am I right? You will enjoy walking in one." Halla remained aloof, staring at the distance. "Dana, do these trees remind you of home?" She nodded, looking as if she had been asked to jump into a fire.

Seeing he would get no further, he shrugged. "We are better off trading here. We can get what we need, then be away before greedy men hear of a small group of travelers carrying gold. We should also offer a sacrifice here, to help with the rest of our journey."

He scanned the faces and everyone seemed agreeable. Again he felt a momentary pang of emptiness for not having Ulfrik at hand to lead. Toki had always considered himself an able leader, until he found he had relied so often on Ulfrik that much of what he thought had been his own talent was borrowed.

"Well, good, then we need to find the locals. There's a track leading through the woods, and probably enough homes nearby to get what little we need. Freshwater is never far here. We will be quick." Again more agreeable faces nodded, though Halla had already drifted to the back of the group and was watching the woods. "Right, so, well, then someone should stay with the ship, just in case."

"Thrand and I will stay. One is not enough protection, but two men with swords will discourage opportunists." Njall patted his sword.

Toki agreed and decided the rest would be under his care. So he picked a handful of silver bits from the box of treasure, and followed the path through the woods into a large clearing of six homes and their adjacent buildings. It was a peaceful scene Toki had long forgotten in the barren harshness of the northern islands. The slant-roofed homes were made of wood and thatch, and pleasant ribbons of hearth smoke flowed from the smoke holes. Chickens and pigs caroused in their pens. He had lived in a similar place for many years, but had long been removed. Seeing this place brought a smile to him.

A dog began to bark, an unfriendly warning sound. This drew a man out of his home, an older man with a bent back and sparse hair. He jumped back at seeing Toki. But Toki, not finding a hazel branch, had instead prepared a thin branch of pine to signal peace. As soon as the man spotted them, he held the branch overhead and stopped walking.

The dog continued to bark, and several others dashed outside, mostly all were women. Their men were likely at sea in the fishing boats Toki had seen in the gray distance before landing here. One younger man ran outside, a sheathed sword in his hand. He was tall, copper-haired and built like a man who used to be strong. He fixed his eyes instantly on Toki, who merely waved his branch and shouted, "Peace! We are lost travelers."

He put the women and Einar behind him. The young man strode forward as the older man followed. Toki watched the sword anxiously, and was glad the man lowered it carelessly to his side. Toki kept his branch high as he walked forward to the men. They met halfway, and now Toki could see the dog barking. A square-built girl held it at bay with a rope.

"Hail, friends. My name is Toki the Black." He manufactured the name on the spot. "My ship was lost at sea, sailing from Denmark. We sought Kaupang to do trade there."