Teeth [The Icefjord Saga 1] by Zaya Feli

Author:Zaya Feli
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2018-06-30T18:30:00+00:00

* * *

Rakkian sat on the deck of the fisherman's shed with his face tilted towards the sun to soak up its weak rays, a wool blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

Signy sat watching him, clearly amused. “Doesn't it get cold on the Western Isles?”

“It does, but not like this.” Rakkian shivered and drew his legs under the blanket. “I'm surprised more of you haven't lost your fingers and toes to frostbite.”

“It's not that bad,” Signy said, shrugging as she leaned back on her hands. “You get used to it.”

Rakkian looked at her. She wore a double-layered dress and a pair of tall boots with fur inlays, but her neck and throat were bare to the fjord winds and she wore no gloves. Rakkian had no idea how she could look so comfortable. Even under the blanket, he had to will his muscles not to tremble when a particularly strong gust threatened to tug his protective cocoon from his grasp.

Grey clouds blocked the sun again, robbing Rakkian of the brief glimpse of it he'd gotten. The sun set early and rose late at this time of year.

A yelp drew Rakkian's gaze from the clouds. Torsten had gathered the young warriors on the beach for training. Three of them were children: Runik twins whose names Rakkian didn't know and Jari, the older boy with a permanently mean look in his eyes who'd teased Rakkian with a knife the night he'd come to Ulfheim. Jari shoved one of the twins, making the boy's sister grab a fistful of sand and throw it at his face. Torsten grabbed her and pulled her out of the way in time to avoid a swing of Jari's fist.

Signy shook his head. “I hope Jari doesn't keep taking after his brother. He's already a menace.”

“Brother?”

“Jari is Eskal's half-brother,” Signy said, smiling at the way Torsten struggled to keep the two young ones from tearing out each others' hair. “I suppose Hjalmar was lonely after his wife died. It was a brief fling at a harvest feast, as far as I remember. Nine months later, Jari's mother showed up in Hjalmar's hall and demanded he take the kid because she didn't want him.”

“Poor Jari,” Rakkian said.

Signy huffed. “I wouldn't feel too bad for him. From what I heard, he nearly cost you a few fingers.”

Rakkian let his gaze wander from the children to the two figures sparring farther along the beach. Isa was easy to recognize. He had the body of a fighter, broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He was training with Alma, both of them holding shields and spears with shining metal tips.

Steinar, the Runik master, watched them from a short distance, arms crossed over his chest and a stern look on his face. He was Isa's magic teacher, from what Rakkian understood. He struck Rakkian as permanently serious, just like Isa. At least he hadn't made any attempts to drain Rakkian, and Rakkian was thankful for that. Two people, a man and a woman, watched them from the pier.

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