woman!”
“Oh, yes, she will.” Andrick placed Celiese upon her feet as he introduced her. “May I present our brother’s wife, who somehow had the great misfortune to be put up for sale at the slave market this morning.”
Celiese looked quickly from one man to the other. Mylan had not mentioned that these two brothers of his were twins, but clearly they were. Their hair, while blond, was not as fair as his, nor their features so finely carved. While they were a handsome pair they were clearly nothing alike in temperament, for while Andrick appeared to be amused, his twin clearly was not.
“What lie is that? Mylan does not even leave his farm—he’d not go seeking a wife for any reason!” Appalled, the young man snarled his question.
Not dismayed, Andrick proceeded with his introduction. “This is Hagen, and let me warn you now, dear lady, this is his usual mood. Had he seen you as I did he would have walked off without replying to your plea for assistance. Perhaps this morning was a more fortuitous one for you than you had imagined.”
“Fortuitous indeed!” Celiese exclaimed, suddenly wondering if she were any better off than she had been. Taking a deep breath, she hastened to explain how she’d come to be in Kaupang and why it was imperative they return to Danish shores at once. She wanted to leave nothing to their imaginations, so she described the horrors she and Mylan had suffered in vivid detail, but she feared she was rambling in her narrative, telling her tale in too disorganized a fashion to be understood. But she was nearly faint from hunger and sick with despair. She was certain she was making no sense at all when Hagen interrupted her.
“Describe my brother’s room to me, if you can. If you were married at our home as you claim, that should be a simple matter for you” His sneer made it plain he thought her incapable of producing such a description.
“His room is large, at the top of a narrow flight of stairs. The fireplace is opposite his bed, there is a row of windows, and although it was late at night when I was there he told me they faced the sea.” She’d had far too much on her mind to notice the view at dawn, but hoped Mylan had not been teasing her, since Hagen seemed to regard his question as an important test.
Andrick laughed at her comment. “Did he now?” He glanced at his sullen twin and nodded. “We will take you back with us, because your tale is amusing, but if it is no more than a cleverly woven lie I’ll warn you now that you will be very sorry.”
“Did you not recognize any of the others from your household? There were others, both men and women, who were sold before I was.” Celiese was surprised he’d not seen them, for their very presence in Kaupang would prove her point.
Andrick shook his head. “No, I had just happened by, we have finished our business here and are preparing to sail. I wanted to purchase no slaves, but something made me stop when they brought you out. The sparkle of the sunlight upon your hair perhaps, or—”
“You needn’t say it!” Celiese cautioned him sternly. “Mylan will be angry enough without your telling him you have seen me naked!”
“Yes, that is true. If by some strange happenstance you are actually Mylan’s bride, his anger should be considerable.” When Hagen offered no objection Andrick continued, “We had planned to leave in a day or two, but now we’ll sail on the morning tide, as this will be worth rushing home to confront. I cannot believe a word you’ve said is true, not that Mylan would consent to any marriage, nor that even a villain so foul as Raktor would stoop to such treachery as you have described.”
Exhausted and having no hope of explaining anything more coherently than she already had, Celiese yawned sleepily. “May I please go to bed?” Tossing Andrick’s long cloak aside, she climbed into the nearest bed, pulled the covers up to her chin and was sound asleep before either of the
“Oh, yes, she will.” Andrick placed Celiese upon her feet as he introduced her. “May I present our brother’s wife, who somehow had the great misfortune to be put up for sale at the slave market this morning.”
Celiese looked quickly from one man to the other. Mylan had not mentioned that these two brothers of his were twins, but clearly they were. Their hair, while blond, was not as fair as his, nor their features so finely carved. While they were a handsome pair they were clearly nothing alike in temperament, for while Andrick appeared to be amused, his twin clearly was not.
“What lie is that? Mylan does not even leave his farm—he’d not go seeking a wife for any reason!” Appalled, the young man snarled his question.
Not dismayed, Andrick proceeded with his introduction. “This is Hagen, and let me warn you now, dear lady, this is his usual mood. Had he seen you as I did he would have walked off without replying to your plea for assistance. Perhaps this morning was a more fortuitous one for you than you had imagined.”
“Fortuitous indeed!” Celiese exclaimed, suddenly wondering if she were any better off than she had been. Taking a deep breath, she hastened to explain how she’d come to be in Kaupang and why it was imperative they return to Danish shores at once. She wanted to leave nothing to their imaginations, so she described the horrors she and Mylan had suffered in vivid detail, but she feared she was rambling in her narrative, telling her tale in too disorganized a fashion to be understood. But she was nearly faint from hunger and sick with despair. She was certain she was making no sense at all when Hagen interrupted her.
“Describe my brother’s room to me, if you can. If you were married at our home as you claim, that should be a simple matter for you” His sneer made it plain he thought her incapable of producing such a description.
“His room is large, at the top of a narrow flight of stairs. The fireplace is opposite his bed, there is a row of windows, and although it was late at night when I was there he told me they faced the sea.” She’d had far too much on her mind to notice the view at dawn, but hoped Mylan had not been teasing her, since Hagen seemed to regard his question as an important test.
Andrick laughed at her comment. “Did he now?” He glanced at his sullen twin and nodded. “We will take you back with us, because your tale is amusing, but if it is no more than a cleverly woven lie I’ll warn you now that you will be very sorry.”
“Did you not recognize any of the others from your household? There were others, both men and women, who were sold before I was.” Celiese was surprised he’d not seen them, for their very presence in Kaupang would prove her point.
Andrick shook his head. “No, I had just happened by, we have finished our business here and are preparing to sail. I wanted to purchase no slaves, but something made me stop when they brought you out. The sparkle of the sunlight upon your hair perhaps, or—”
“You needn’t say it!” Celiese cautioned him sternly. “Mylan will be angry enough without your telling him you have seen me naked!”
“Yes, that is true. If by some strange happenstance you are actually Mylan’s bride, his anger should be considerable.” When Hagen offered no objection Andrick continued, “We had planned to leave in a day or two, but now we’ll sail on the morning tide, as this will be worth rushing home to confront. I cannot believe a word you’ve said is true, not that Mylan would consent to any marriage, nor that even a villain so foul as Raktor would stoop to such treachery as you have described.”
Exhausted and having no hope of explaining anything more coherently than she already had, Celiese yawned sleepily. “May I please go to bed?” Tossing Andrick’s long cloak aside, she climbed into the nearest bed, pulled the covers up to her chin and was sound asleep before either of the
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