o 132c9f47d7a19d14 by Adena Read Free Book Online

staring stonily into the glowing coals, with his back still stiff
    and straight from the recent outrage to his pride. Leifr sat down on a
    stool, wondering where he was expected to stow his scanty belongings
    and his person for the night.
    “I suppose you’ll be wanting me to leave,” Thurid said suddenly
    in an accusing tone, fixing his disapproving eyes upon Leifr and
    hitching up his cloak around his shoulders.
    “I never said anything of the kind,” Leifr replied, mystified.
    “You’ll be wanting to go to bed, I presume, in your favorite lair.”
    Thurid nodded curtly toward the shadowy end of the room, where a
    couple of ancient sleeping platforms built against the walls were now
    used mostly for storage. Leifr arose to investigate, discerning that this
    part of the house was by far the oldest. With the additions of the larger
    annexes, it had been reduced from the main hall to the kitchen. Its
    mellow ancientness seemed to radiate a homely welcome to Leifr,
    reminding him of his own ancestral roots at Landslag.
    “I don’t know why you’d want the kitchen, where the thralls and
    dogs sleep, when you could have any of the choice rooms in the
    household,” Thurid grumbled, scrutinizing Leifr mercilessly from under
    a skeptically arched black brow while pretending to find something of
    great significance in the pattern of his tea leaves. Quickly he sloshed the
    tea into the fire and stood up.
    “Bah, I don’t believe evil tidings in a teacup are as bad as the
    Rhbus would have us believe. I, for one, am willing to forgive old
    enemies and let the past perish. One can certainly give someone else a
    second chance to prove himself, wouldn’t you say, Fridmarr?“ He
    spoke with a pompous sneer, barely concealed by his patronizing
    manner.
    “Certainly, Thurid.” Leifr suddenly knew exactly how Fridmarr
    would have thought and spoken to him. “I’ll never give up the hope that
    you’ll change into a decent, likable fellow, even when hope seems so
    futile. Goodnight, Thurid.”
    The speech produced a pleasant tingle of imminent danger, and
    its effect on Thurid was most gratifying. Thurid glowered, drawing deep
    breaths to swell himself up like an indignant cat. Shaking his finger in
    self-righteous wrath, he cried, “You wouldn’t be so arrogant if you had
    a true appreciation for what I’ve gone through on your account. One
    of these days you’ll know me for what I truly am and you’ll regret
    your impudence. You haven’t forgotten that old satchel and rune
    sticks you gave me, have you?” He dropped his voice to a significant
    whisper, his eyes darting around as if the shadows were alive and
    listening. “All I can say now is—beware!” He strode away with a final
    insulted sniff, letting his cloak billow majestically.

Chapter 3
    Leifr spent a few days cautiously acquainting himself with Dallir
    and its inhabitants. In addition to Snagi, the aged house thrall, there
    were two ruffians who looked after the few sheep and cows, a couple of
    girls, and a great buzzard of an old woman who ran the dairy and did
    the cooking. Thurid was supposed to oversee them all and give them
    their directions, but mostly they went their own ways and the work was
    done haphazardly, if at all.
    “You’d think they were running this farm,” Thurid grumbled at
    breakfast, after reciting a long list of the servants’ shortcomings to Leifr.
    He stared blackly at the bread. To Leifr’s surprise, it moved across
    the table with a jerk to rest beside Leifr’s plate. Gingerly Leifr
    prodded it back to its rightful place in the middle. It stayed there a
    moment, until Thurid reached for it; then it slithered toward Leifr
    again before he could touch it.
    “Still up to your old tricks to torment me, I see,” Thurid snarled.
    “I’d hoped you’d grown out of that.”
    “I didn’t do anything,” Leifr protested.
    Thurid stood up and reached for the bread. As he did so, his chair
    levitated several inches off the