Return of the Ravens (Ulfrik Ormsson's Saga Book 6) by Jerry Autieri Read Free Book Online

cold needle of pain raced across her throbbing cheek as she spoke.
    They stared at each other while the rest of the servants flowed around them carrying out their chores. Groa's mouth formed unspoken words, the same protests she made every time Konal's rage ended in violence. Both knew all talk was pointless. Groa's eyes faltered and she relented, stepping aside. Runa patted her arm and continued out of the hall.
    The sky was blanketed with woolly clouds and a cool wind lifted her hair over her face. Just the touch of it on her injured cheek elicited soreness. Their small fort consisted of the main hall, blacksmith, barracks, and a smattering of homes all ringed by a wooden palisade. The lands beyond were nominally under Konal's rule, but Hrolf the Strider was the true force from here to the sea, which was miles upon miles of land. Konalsvik, as it was called, hid far back behind the Frankish borders where Einar now held a larger, more important fortress. Hrolf understood Konal's true potential, and had kept him away from a position where his mistakes could cost him. A river flowed nearby, dumping into the Seine. It was about the only thing of importance in the area.
    Runa folded her arms across her chest and shuffled down the main dirt road. A dog barked and children ran between buildings. The blacksmith's hammer clanged in the distance.
    She hated her life. This morning had only served to deepen that hatred. Only her son, her youngest son, Aren, remained with her now. Her eldest, Gunnar, was probably dead, having stolen a ship to search for his father and never returned. Hakon now fostered with Einar and made it clear he would never return to her side while Konal ruled. Her brother Toki's daughter, Kirsten, was given away in marriage at age thirteen and died with her first child the following year. Konal helped her endure all of this by drinking, bragging, and beating her when she reminded him of her unhappiness.
    Fate was a strange thing, and her journey from a jarl's daughter, to a slave, to a jarl's wife, and finally a defeated old woman made no sense. Was this all that life meant?
    She stood watching the playing children, the boys fighting mock battles with sticks while the girls cheered for their heroes. Her decision became clearer.
    Divorce had never been a choice, not without family to support her. Einar would take her in, but with the Frankish border he would be pressed to his limit. While she could lean on him, she had to bring value to Einar's table. She also had to be certain Konal would not do something rash when confronted with her demands. She had never feared him to kill her, but his violence came easily these days.
    A divorce would shame him, though it was her right if she chose it. Handled wrong, it could end in blood. The thought chilled her.
    With Hakon now turned seventeen, he was a man capable of accepting his inheritance. The jewels she had secreted all these years should pass to him, in part to aid his future and to support her after leaving Konal. Aren remained the problem, for he was not yet a man at age fifteen, though some could argue it so. To get him from under Konal's control would be no easy thing. The law was clear enough that the father claimed the children. Yet if she could arrange to have him away when the time came, Aren might have a chance to avoid returning. Despite being his blood father, Aren did not love Konal and suffered under his demands for obedience in all matters.
    No matter what happened, divorce was not a common thing for men of station. Common folk exercised their rights with less care for their reputations and standing. Though she knew another year living under Konal's unpredictable moods was not an option, humiliating him brought risks to not only herself but to her children. Even Einar would be caught in the backlash. She wondered if the guilt he felt for Ulfrik's death would be enough for him to endure a bad relationship with Konal.
    The children's battle was ending,