And then an old woman stepped forward from the outer edges of the ring of youths. He hadn’t seen her approach and she had the tingle of magic around her. Her face was lined and her eyes were somewhat clouded with age. Her scent was that of a tiger shifter and she was the oldest-looking tiger Mitch had ever seen.
“Praise the Mother of All for your return, Princess Gleda. I am Hilda Berenson, priestess of this village and your great grandmother, Mitchell Gustavson.” Her aged eyes twinkled at him and he realized there were tears sparkling on her pale lashes. He’d made the old lady cry, and that didn’t sit well with him. Mitch shifted on his feet in discomfort. “I wish we had time to talk, but haste is your friend at this crucial juncture,” she went on, surprising him with her knowledge. “Gisli prepares even now. His spies at the airport in Reykjavík have no doubt alerted him to your arrival. You must prepare yourself and meet him at the challenge grounds just outside the stronghold. Gunnar will show you the way.” She touched the young man’s shoulder, though he remained down on one knee.
“Where are all the older folk, madam,” Gina asked in a respectful tone, asking the question that had been bothering Mitch since the beginning of this confrontation.
“Serving up at the stronghold, taken prisoner, dead or run off,” Hilda replied with acidic candor. “Times have not been good here since your father’s departure, princess. And after the financial crash of 2008, it’s been worse. Gisli is a fool in many ways, but especially with money.”
“Amma,” the young man named Gunnar reproved his elder gently. “Be careful what you say.” Mitch knew the Icelandic word for grandmother was amma. Whether Gunnar was related or not remained to be seen. It could be the old woman was called amma by the entire village due to her advanced age.
She laughed in reply. “The time has come, lad. Do you not see your salvation when it is standing before you? The real royals have returned. The Goddess blesses their path. They have only to prove themselves worthy and nimble, and our people may yet recover from this terrible time.”#p#分页标题#e#
“It’s not over yet, Amma. Be more cautious in your speech, please.” Gunnar looked pained by the old woman’s candor and Mitch saw the value in playing it safe. What if he didn’t win the challenge? What if Gisli exacted revenge for her words here today? How many would suffer or die if Mitch didn’t win?
He stepped forward and touched the old lady’s shoulder with one hand. “If you really are my great grandmother—and I believe you are—then please heed Gunnar’s caution. I don’t want anything to happen to you if I fail.”
She covered his hand with hers, lined with age but still strong. Her watery eyes met his and he could actually feel the strength radiating from her toward him.
“You must prevail, Mitchell. The Clan needs its rightful leadership. We’ve been too long without it and have paid the Lady’s price for our hubris. We have suffered for a generation. The Clan is nearly bankrupt and cannot sustain its people. These youngsters here have never known the rule of a true king. You must return honor to our people. It is your sacred duty.”
“I know, Amma, I know.” Mitch bowed his head, receiving her words like a benediction. He felt the Goddess’s power in the old woman’s touch. “I’ll do my best.”
The wrinkled hand moved to his cheek and she smiled at him. “Your best is all we ask, grandson. I see my Maria and her mother, Marli, in you. You have Maria’s smile.”
Mitch was touched by her words. This old woman had known his birth mother and his grandmother. She was related to him by blood. Mitch had never had a blood relation before. He wanted to talk more with his great grandmother, but there was no time. Not now. Maybe not ever if he didn’t win the day.
He couldn’t answer her. He was too choked up. But he squeezed her hand gently and returned her smile. He hoped she understood how precious this moment was to him. If he had anything to say about it, he would return and talk with her at length once this was all over.
She stepped back and touched the young man’s shoulder again. “Gunnar, this is your cousin Mitchell. You must take him to the challenge field near the stronghold. Be careful and watch for magical attacks.” She turned toward Mitch to offer one last word of warning. “Gisli has a mage. A perverse and powerful creature. Gunnar has enough of my gift to detect magical attacks before they happen. Heed him and take cover if Gisli’s pet mage comes into play. Gunnar can help you there—and perhaps you inherited some of my abilities as well—but you cannot count on it, I fear. Your best bet is to take Gisli out as quickly as possible, and don’t give his mage any opportunity to snare you. Many men have died by that mage’s hand. I would not see you join their number.”