18. Maddy

Chapter 18

Maddy

T he next morning at breakfast, Harald bangs his breastplate, and he and Erik stand in front of everybody. "I am pleased to tell you that our mighty leader, Sigrun, will shortly grace us with her presence," Erik calls as everybody falls quiet.

"There will be a feast in honor of her arrival tomorrow evening, and the strength display will be held on Friday at midday," Harald says. "So prepare yourselves, and make sure you are ready. It will be a magnificent demonstration of the work we have achieved so far. Do yourselves proud in front of our mighty leader."

The rest of the day passes quickly, nervous excitement buzzing through everyone. We swap sparring partners four times in glima , and since the episode at the spring, none of the others seem reluctant to train with me. During forging in the afternoon, I try to patch my shield. I don't have as long as I need to get it to how it was before, but it's long enough to at least fix the straps and attach new, clumsy, and heavier wooden panels, and Sarra will help me somewhat straighten out the bear's face on the front.

Harald waits until everyone has left before asking if I have seen my bear again. I tell him, through barely concealed frustration, that I haven't.

"Is that the same shield?" he asks, squinting at the rough wooden edges of my patchwork job.

"Yes."

He frowns. "What the fates happened to it?"

"It fell in the pit," I growl, refusing to look at him.

First my staff destroyed, now my shield. I square my shoulders, trying not feel ashamed that they keep getting the better of me.

"Try to show them up in front of Sigrun," Harald says quietly.

I look at him, grateful there's no pity in his voice. "How?"

"Surprise them. Surprise us all."

The next day, I concentrate on making potions to help me if I get injured, then head over to the Battleyard. The building has not been fixed yet, but all the debris has been stacked out of the way on one side. I find a fae-sized piece of broken wood and stand it against the railings.

The best way to surprise everyone would be with magic .

I try to summon shards of ice and fling them at where the chest would be on my wooden target.

Nothing happens.

"It's too accursedly warm here," I mutter.

I try again, and a flurry of soft snow storms around me instead.

Ice, I think, concentrating. I need sharp, dangerous ice. Snow is not going to help me in a strength display.

After what must have been hours and some semi-successful attempts to shoot ice at the board, Valdis lands in the Battleyard, her wings barely causing the sand to stir as she sets her boots on the ground.

"This area is being set up for tomorrow—you need to leave."

I look up and see Erik and Harald flying toward us, carrying a huge crate between them.

"I haven't run my laps," I say, and fail to keep the relief from my voice.

Valdis gives me a sarcastic smile. "What a shame. You'll have to miss your run today." I turn to leave, but her voice makes me pause. "How many are you up to now?"

"Eight."

"When you hit twelve, come see me."

"Why?"

Her wings flutter. "I'll help you with some other exercises."

"Thanks. I'm lifting weights too," I say, and give a slightly pointless flex of my arm. All it does is show how damaged the shirt I'm wearing is.

"Good. I can show you things that will make your lungs and heart work better. Improve your stamina."

Stamina is a strength of the wolf, and even as I think the words, I see a flicker beside her.

"I'd appreciate that, thank you, hersir ," I say.

Harald and Erik have landed and are pulling boards and smaller crates out of the large one.

"Is there anything else?" Valdis says pointedly, as I'm still standing there awkwardly.

Apart from the familiarity she has with Kain making me feel odd, I have a huge amount of respect for Valdis. She has never once looked pityingly at me or put me at a disadvantage in training. She was the one who fished me out of the water when I fainted on the ship, and she makes no fuss when I faint in her archery sessions.

Is she the one I should confide in?

Just as I'm opening my mouth, though, Brynhild appears in the sky above us.

"No." I shake my head.

"Then I'll see you at the feast. And Madivia?"

"Yes?"

"Go to the thrall quarters and ask for Margaery. Tell her I sent you, and you need something to wear for the display that doesn't have holes in it. And go now, so she has time to find something."

"I didn't know I was coming here, so I wasn't able to bring any clothes," I say, wishing I could hide my embarrassment. "These were lent to me from the laundry chambers. "

"I'm not mocking you," she says quietly. "I want all the rooks to look presentable for Sigrun. That's all."

I nod. "Okay, thank you. I'll go find her."

"Good. Go now."

Brynhild sets down on the sand and throws me a cool look, and I hurry to do as I'm told.

Margaery turns out to be a kindly lady, a human thrall with brown eyes and neat hair. She eyes me for a moment or two, looking appraisingly at my body. "Well, my dear, this could be tricky," she says.

"Because I'm not the same shape as everyone else?" I sigh.

Margaery looks apologetically at me. "I'm sure we can find something, though. It'll take me a while to gather everything. Let me take some measurements, and then you can go about your business," she says. She wraps a tape measure around my chest and my hips.

"I'll be in Sarra's workshop," I tell her when she asks where she can find me.

"Sarra?" she says, raising her eyebrows.

"The earth rune-marked," I clarify.

"Yes, dear, that's the only Sarra I know here. I'm just surprised to hear of a fae spending time with a thrall," she says.

I shrug, because I don't know what to say to that. "Sarra's my friend. "

"She's a nice girl," Margaery agrees. "Okay, well, I'll have something for you as soon as I can."

"Thank you," I tell her sincerely.