Fault (Book 1 of the Vikings Series)

Chapter 25

Elin

Singrid? No. There was no way I could talk to her. A lump rises in my throat and I struggle to speak.

“I don’t want to talk to her, not after what she did in Limerick.”
I start to walk away but Kori grabs my wrist.
“It’s not an option,” she says sternly.
I bite my lip. If there was one thing I didn’t want to do this side of Valhalla, it was talk to my mother. She burned an entire village for what? To kill Kori, her niece? Everything I thought she was became a lie. That was worse then anything I’ve been told about Thorgar or anything my father had done to me.
Kori sighs and drops my arm.
“Listen, Elin. I know this is tough, but if you are actually staying, you need to get rid of Singrid. You and I both know she won’t stop until the two of you talk. Do that before Thorgar gets angry.”
As much as I want to disagree, I know she’s right.
I go into the great hall the back way Thorgar usually leaves from and lean up against the door to hear. It’s silent for a few moments but finally, footsteps start to echo through the corridor. I crack the door open and see my mother approaching a very unamused Thorgar.
“Thorgar! This is not how you want to end this battle,” Singrid bellows. She approaches his throne and crosses her arms. My mother looks more like a defiant teenager than the woman I’d always respected. Thorgar raises an eyebrow innocently.
“Battle?”
“Elin is my daughter. She has nothing to do with this.”
“Your daughter?” Thorgar laughs. “Singrid, I always wondered what you would do. How you would attempt to hide your children from me but raising her to think that there was nothing outside the walls of her own village? Disappointing.”
“It was to protect her from you!”
“Me? I am the greatest thing that has ever happened to that child.”
Thorgar stands and approaches Singrid.
“She is amazing. The perfect combination of you and Tarben: stubborn, inconsiderate, yet ruthless and absolutely cunning in all the best ways.”
“Elin is going to realize the monster you really are.”
“And you won’t be around to see that.”
“At least give her the choice,” my mother begs. Thorgar lets out an exasperated sigh.
“Elin!” he shouts.
“You had her listening?” Singrid asks in disbelief.
“Of course. Elin should be listening in on a conversation that sole purpose is her,” Thorgar responds.
Slowly, I push the door open and both of them turn to face me.
“Elin,” my mother breaths.
I approach slowly and stop a few feet away from both of them.
Singrid throws her arms around me and pulls me in for a tight embrace. I push away, gently.
“Singrid, you were great. All of Antrapar was yours and you threw it away. And you tried to hide that from me. Why?”
“There’s a difference between being free and being great,” Singrid whispers, her voice breaking mid-sentence.
I chuckle dryly. “I’m not free either way, so I mine as well be great.”
My mother shakes her head and looks to Thorgar.
“What lies have you been filling her head with?” she hisses bitterly. Thorgar takes a threatening step towards my mother but she doesn’t stand down.
“Singrid, I think Elin and I can both agree that I’m not the enemy. You have two minutes to speak to her and then you are no longer welcome in my house.”
Thorgar walks to the end of the hall and disappears through the door.
Singrid takes my hand and pulls me close.
“Elin, I know what this looks like but please trust the years I’ve tried to protect you. Nothing good comes from Thorgar,” she cautions. I pull out of her touch.
“I’m sorry, but this is where I want to be.”
A tear slides down Singrid’s face. She runs a soft hand over my face.
“Please, don’t do this. He is going to ruin everything.”
I shake my head, refusing to cry.
“You ruined everything the second you burned Limerick.”
“Elin, that was-” She starts to defend herself but realizes I’m not going to listen to it.
“Whatever happens, know that I love you,” my mother whispers.
Singrid stares at me intently, as if trying to memorize every detail about the way I look. Finally, she turns and starts walking back down the hall.
As she walks away, the first tear slides down my cheek. I bite my lip, trying to hold back the waterfall that threatens to pour from my eyes. Thorgar comes back a few minutes later and stands by my side. I don’t move. Honestly, I don’t think I can. Staying frozen is my only chance of keeping it together.
“You’ll look back on this moment someday and realize it’s the best thing you’ve ever done,” Thorgar comforts me. I don’t feel comforted, at all. This was harder than anything. This was my choice and I pray to the gods it wasn’t the wrong one.
I finally manage to take that first step. Each step is it’s own small victory as I head up to the mountain. Tears flow down my face, dripping onto my cloak. Once the glow of the fire comes into view I turn back to look at the harbor. A single ships sails out in the moonlight. Footsteps crunch on the ground behind me and someone lays a hand on my shoulder.
“Elin?” Vern asks. I whirl around and throw my arms around his neck. Vern pulls me into his embrace with no hesitation. A pathetic sob escapes from my lips and my friend hugs me tighter. I bury my face into Vern’s chest and try to control my ragged breathing. He runs a hand through my hair. Finally I pull away, just to look back out to the sea again. The ship is out of the harbor, barely visible on the horizon.
“Is that-”
“Singrid.” My voice cracks on the word. Vern takes both of my hands.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” he whispers.
“How do you know?”
“It always is.”
I try to believe Vern, I really do, but Singrid’s warnings still echo in my head as I go to sleep that night.