Ragnar the Just by Lily Byrne

Author:Lily Byrne [Byrne, Lily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781463698379
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2011-07-10T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

The dark, rainy night meant no one was hanging around, so they reached Kjartan’s home with ease. Lini was still shaking despite the fur cloak.

Mildrith sat by the fire, eyes half shut, but she jumped at their arrival.

“Are you alright Lini? You don’t look well.”

Kjartan took a deep breath. “Halldora’s thrown him out.”

“What? Why?”

The men exchanged glances and hesitated.

“Oh, tell her,” said Lini weakly. “Might as well have done with it.” He looked at his feet.

“I - I love Lini. Like a wife.” Kjartan put his arm round the amber smith and held him, making him stumble with weariness and emotion.

Mildrith’s jaw dropped, but before she could speak, Dalla began to cry.

“Oh. Oh, you do what you like, Kjartan. You always do. I’m exhausted and I’ve got so much to do, I just want to sleep. We’ll sort this out in the morning.” She trudged off to her daughter.

“You seem to have a more understanding wife than I do,” said Lini, sagging on his feet.

Kjartan hugged him. “She must be, ‘cos she puts up with me.”

Mildrith returned with her wailing baby.

“You’re her father. Can’t you make her sleep?”

Kjartan took the child and held her upright, bouncing her gently, which made her scream more.

“Let me,” said Lini, taking her from him and cradling her, looking into her eyes. Dalla stopped mid-cry and gazed back. He murmured a soft, ancient lullaby, rocking her and she gurgled. Her eyelids began to close and soon she slept.

“She can go back in her cot.” Mildrith held out her arms but Lini shook his head.

“I’ll sit down with her or she’ll wake up again.”

Kjartan guided him to a chair where he sat, honey-coloured head drooping.

“You can stay here,” said Mildrith. “Anyone who can get my child to sleep is worth their weight in timber.”

“Thank you.” Lini gave in to sleep, his chin resting on his chest.

“Are you sure?” whispered Kjartan to his wife, not wanting to wake the sleepers.

“No, but we’ll work something out. I’m too exhausted to think now. If having Lini here stops you disappearing all the time, it’ll have to be that way. He can join our family.”

He hugged her. “Remember, I love you too, ketta. Just different.” He gathered some bearskins and lay down in front of Lini and Dalla.

Mildrith got into bed but couldn’t sleep, her thoughts running over and over the news she’d just received about her husband and Lini. It didn’t seem real. Was she dreaming or listening to a story told by an English scop or Danish skald? Her exhausted mind wouldn’t work properly, so it stored her husband’s words in a corner for future consideration.

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