‘I will honour it,’ said Ingvar. ‘I swear it.’ Beads of sweat trickled down his face and he grimaced in pain.
Wulfgar regarded him in disgust, but he lowered the sword a fraction. ‘Have your worthless life then, cur, but if ever I see your face again that hour is your last.’
Ingvar nodded and then looked across at Anwyn. ‘You are merciful, my lady. I shall not forget it.’
Wulfgar lowered the sword. ‘Get out.’
He watched as Ingvar limped towards the door. He paused briefly on the threshold and then moved on towards the far door. Wulfgar turned away and looked at Anwyn. She managed a tremulous smile, her heart full.
‘Thank you.’
He sighed. ‘You are a bad influence, my sweet.’
‘Was it true what you said before? Is Eyvind safe?’
‘He is safe.’
Some of the tension went out of her. ‘I have been in terror of what might happen.’
‘He is unharmed and eager to see you again.’
‘As I am to see him. From the bottom of my heart I—’ She broke off with a scream. ‘Wulfgar, look out!’
He whipped round, lifting his sword instinctively. He had a swift impression of a raised dagger, a snarling face and then a sensation of weight on his arm. Carried by the momentum of his attack Ingvar was unable to check in time to avoid the weapon aimed at his chest. The point plunged deep. He gasped and froze. Wulfgar tugged free his blade and thrust again. Ingvar’s snarl became an expression of astonishment and the dagger slipped from his grasp. Then he collapsed beside it in a pool of blood.
For a moment Wulfgar surveyed him in silence, breathing hard. Then he turned to look at Anwyn. The blue eyes smouldered. She swallowed convulsively.
‘Wulfgar, forgive me. I had no idea he would—’
There was no time for more because he was across the room in three strides and she was forcibly seized, crushed against him in a fierce embrace. Then his mouth came down over hers, hot, searing, avid. Far from resenting this treatment, she returned the kiss in like manner, oblivious to everything else. For some time they remained thus before eventually he drew back a little to look into her face.
‘It is I who should apologise, Anwyn. I’ve been such an almighty fool, unable to see what was right in front of me.’ He paused. ‘I love you more than my life. It wasn’t until I thought I had lost you that I realised how much.’
A lump formed in her throat and she was unable to speak. Wulfgar sighed.
‘I’m not surprised that you should doubt it after the way I’ve behaved, but I’d gladly spend the rest of my life making it up to you if I thought there was the slightest chance you might forgive—’
The sentence was cut short by a kiss, a gentle and lingering embrace that set his heart thumping and whose implications filled him with painful hope.
‘I love you, Wulfgar. I always have.’
‘Then you wouldn’t mind if I stayed?’
‘Mind? It’s what I always dreamed of but…Wulfgar, are you sure?’
‘I was never more sure of anything in my life.’ He drew her to his breast. ‘The gods have given me a second chance and I don’t mean to throw it away.’
‘The gods have given us rather more than that,’ she replied.
He glanced down at her. ‘How so, my love?’
She took a deep breath. ‘In a few months from now there’s going to be another addition to the family.’
It took a moment or two before the import of her words sank in. Then he stared at her dumbfounded. ‘A child?’
‘Our child.’
A slow grin spread across his face. ‘That’s marvellous!’
‘You don’t mind?’
‘It’s wonderful news. Why would I mind?’
‘What you said before…about not wanting more sons…I thought maybe the news might not be welcome.’
Wulfgar froze. He had almost forgotten that conversation, but now it returned with terrible clarity and, for the first time, he understood its significance.
‘You knew back then.’
‘Suspected only.’
‘And I let you think that I had no interest in such things.’ He was appalled. ‘I only said it because I thought you didn’t want more children. The circumstances were complicated enough—thanks largely to my high-handedness—and I felt I had no right to make you feel guilty over the matter.’ He paused. ‘Besides, I believed…you said you had taken precautions.’
‘With Torstein. Never with you.’
His throat tightened. ‘Then the thought of bearing my sons is not repugnant to you?’
‘It never was, Wulfgar.’
The knowledge of what he had so nearly lost was chilling. ‘I’ve been a blind fool. Can you ever—?’
She silenced him with a finger to his lips. ‘I love you. I will always love you, but I don’t want to try to hold you here if it is your will to be gone. You said from the start that you would not stay for ever.’
‘I seem to recall that I said a lot of stupid things back then.’ He shook his head. ‘The words of a man so fearful of loving that he dared not risk his heart.’ He hesitated. ‘But my heart is yours, Anwyn—if you want it.’
‘Can you doubt it?’
‘No, it was my own steadfastness that was in doubt.’
‘You have been steadfast, my lord. No man more.’
‘I mean to be. You are my home now and I will not leave you again.’
Her heart gave a painful lurch. She took another deep breath, dreading to speak what was on her mind, yet knowing she must. ‘I would not have you leave, but you have your men to consider, Wulfgar.’
‘They will manage well enough under Hermund’s command and, if they ever tire of adventuring, there will always be a place for them at Drakensburgh.’
Anwyn regarded him anxiously. ‘Are you quite sure about this?’
‘I was never more certain of anything.’ He drew her closer. ‘I want a future, Anwyn, and I want to share it with you.’
‘But what about Rollo?’
‘Rollo wants good fighting men and he’s going to get them.’ He grinned. ‘All but one, that is. I can’t see him losing any sleep over that.’
They were rudely interrupted by shouting and then the heavy thud of axes against the wooden door without. Wulfgar listened a moment and sighed.
‘My men, I imagine.’ Reluctantly he relinquished his hold on her. ‘I’d better let them know we’re here.’
He went into the next room and shouted to the men outside the door. The axe blows ceased. Then he lifted the bar and opened the door. Hermund and half-a-dozen others stepped into the room, looking around.
‘Everything all right, my lord?’
Wulfgar grinned. ‘Aye, all is well.’
‘And Lady Anwyn?’
‘Safe.’
‘The gods be thanked.’ Hermund paused. ‘Where’s Ingvar?’
‘Dead.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.’
His companions voiced their agreement.
‘What’s happened in my absence?’ asked Wulfgar.
‘Pretty much what we’d planned, my lord. Almost all of the scum were in the hall like we hoped, and most of them half-drunk to boot. By the time they realised what was happening we were on them. To be honest it wasn’t much of a fight. Still, you can’t have everything.’ He glanced over his shoulder at the few remaining combatants outside. ‘We’re mopping up the remnants now.’
As he finished speaking some more of the Sea Wolf’s crew hove into sight. Among them were Asulf and Thrand, the latter carrying a battered helmet on the point of his spear. Wulfgar glanced at it and then at the bearer’s grinning face.
‘All right, I’m going to ask.’
Thrand glanced up at his prize and beamed. ‘I found Grymar Big Mouth.’
Hermund chuckled softly. ‘Good lad.’
‘It was he who slew Ina,’ Thrand continued. ‘The boy told us.’
Wulfgar nodded, aware of intense inner satisfaction. ‘Then Ina is justly avenged.’
‘Most mightily, lord,’ said Asulf. ‘We’ve taken no prisoners.’
‘And the servants?’
‘We let them go, lord, as you commanded. They didn’t need telling twice, either. Seemed only too glad to get out of the place.’
‘That’s understandable.’
Thrand nodded. ‘We liberated Ingvar’s stores of grain, too, while we were at it.’ He grinned. ‘Oddly enough Grymar argued with us over that, but I was able to persuade him in the end. Now there’s enough to keep Drakensburgh fed until harvest and beyond.’
‘Excellent. Anything else of value?’
‘Aye, plenty,’ said Thrand. ‘The men have liberated that as well.’
‘And I declare Beranhold lands annexed to Drakensburgh,’ replied Wulfgar. ‘All that remains now is to burn this rats’ nest to the ground.’