Lords of Alekka #5 - Fury of the Queen by A.E. Rayne

Author:A.E. Rayne [Rayne, A.E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A.E. Rayne
Published: 2022-05-23T23:00:00+00:00

There were many injured to attend to, so there was no point rushing through breakfast, though few had much of an appetite. Especially not Berger and Ollo, who sat by the fire opposite the dreamers, wiping their beards, occasionally spitting.

‘I can still hear those chains,’ Helgi said, carrying a jug of ale and a stack of cups towards them. ‘Scraping along the ground.’ He shuddered.

‘Who knew children could be so terrifying?’ Ollo snorted. He couldn’t feel his leg where the poisoned dart had struck him. It was entirely numb, though every other part of him throbbed. He’d been knocked down, scratched by the forest cats, slapped with chains, had rocks launched at every part of him. He felt ready for his pyre. Though, he realised, as the pile of bodies grew behind him, he was one of the lucky ones. He glanced at a sneezing Eddeth Nagel, who had the most annoying way of saving his life.

He wasn’t sure why he kept forgetting that.

Sniffing, he looked around, wondering where Ilene was.

‘They weren’t children,’ Eddeth reminded him, digging out another spoonful of porridge. She was starving, already onto her second bowl. ‘When they died, they became something else, something evil, thanks to Vasa. She has many creatures, none of them pleasant.’

‘But why did they attack us? Did Vasa send them?’ Ollo wondered, taking a cup of ale from Helgi.

‘No idea!’ Eddeth grinned, relief thumping like a drum inside her body. Relief that she hadn’t made a mess of everything. She lifted her head, then quickly lowered it, realising that she hadn’t seen what was coming. Both her and Raf were here to prevent disaster, to help Reinar and his men overcome Gudrum. And eyes drifting to the mounds of bodies, and ears open to the cries of pain, she sighed, feeling as helpless as ever. ‘But whoever sent them was trying to frighten us. Frighten us and then kill us!’ She stood with a weary groan. ‘I must get back to the injured. Raf, you stay and finish your ale.’ She spun around with another sneeze before bounding away, staff in hand.

‘She’s a useful woman,’ Helgi noted, watching Eddeth go. ‘Worth standing near if something like that happens again.’

Berger nodded, only half awake. Eddeth had given both him and Ollo something for the poison, but it felt as though it was still flowing through his veins. He felt confused, his limbs resting heavily upon the log. He thought about heading into the forest again but feared he didn’t have the energy.

‘Eddeth said you need to drink water,’ Raf muttered. ‘To rid yourself of the poison. To piss it away.’

Ollo laughed. ‘Well, water, ale, it’s all the same.’ And ignoring Raf’s frown of disapproval, he poured the contents of the cup into his mouth.

Reinar joined them, looking impatient. ‘We’ve got to get going before the sun reaches its peak. Help me get the injured into the sleighs.’ It had been a difficult decision – whether to bring sleighs or wagons – for

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