Border of Bones by Tanya Bird

Author:Tanya Bird
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Tanya Bird
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

By the time Lina and her father reached the camp, Farulf was limping. It had been too far for him. She certainly had not been expecting to walk as far as she did. Now she was forced to watch her father’s once-strong gait reduced to a painful shuffle. Yet even in his weakened state, there was a steely resolve in his eyes. She was relieved when he finally lowered himself onto a log in front of the fire, wincing the entire way down. He waited for Lina to take a seat, preparing to reprimand her.

Before he could begin, Simian emerged from the tent carrying a plate of chopped herbs. He looked between the two of them. ‘Everything all right?’

Neither of them answered straight away. When Lina went to speak, her father cut her off. ‘I’ll be doing the talking.’

She closed her mouth.

Simian awkwardly dropped the greens into the pot, then looked around, seemingly unsure what to do next.

‘Sit down, Simian,’ Farulf said. ‘This concerns you too.’

Lina’s eyebrows rose. ‘It does?’

Farulf changed his position, huffing and puffing through the five-second ordeal.

‘Shall I get you a hot cloth for your knees?’ Lina asked.

‘No.’

Simian chewed his lip, clearly not enjoying the tension. ‘Did something happen during your watch?’

Farulf pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘May I speak, please?’

The siblings fell silent.

Taking a calming breath, Farulf began. ‘I spoke at length with Sture this morning. We were discussing the future of our clans.’

It was not the conversation Lina had been expecting to have upon returning to the camp, but she did not interrupt.

‘Sture’s not only a strong and capable leader, but he’s also a forward thinker with the ability to adapt. These are important attributes during periods of relentless change. If we can’t pivot as our environment and circumstances demand, then we perish.’

‘You should have invited me along,’ Simian said. ‘I could have written all that was said. It’s helpful to reference these conversations in the future.’

Farulf gave him a tired look. ‘We prefer to rely on our memories and honour.’

‘Both of which can be easily lost.’

Lina subtly shook her head at Simian to silence him, sensing their father was already at his limit for patience—thanks to her. Simian fell silent, and the chieftain looked between his two children.

‘Sture has made a bold proposal, one that may shape the future of our clans for generations to come.’

A knot formed in Lina’s stomach at the gravity of her father’s words. She snuck a glance at Simian, who mirrored her apprehension.

Farulf looked only at Lina when he said the next part. ‘He wishes to take you as his wife, and I’ve given my blessing. We agreed it would be best if we waited until the end of summer. It’ll give you some time to get to know each other better, and I want to ensure that the two clans work well together before binding us to them in this permanent way.’

The crackling of the campfire seemed to intensify. Lina’s heart had not just skipped a beat but stopped altogether.

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