CHAPTER FORTY-THREE ORKA

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

ORKA

"I am here," Orka said, stepping out of the ranks of the Bloodsworn.

"I am glad to see you," Elvar smiled. She had changed since Orka had seen her last. The lines on her face sharper, a depth and weariness to her eyes that spoke of responsibility and pain. She looked older than her years.

"Did you find your son?" Elvar asked her.

"I did," Orka said, and gestured to Breca, who was standing among the Bloodsworn with a shield almost as big as him slung across his back, a short-hafted spear in his fist, an axe thrust through his belt. Elvar smiled at the sight of him.

"He looks as fierce as his mother," she said. "And Myrk?" Elvar asked.

"Dead," Orka grunted.

"Good. And her brother? Have you had your vengeance?"

"He still lives, for now. He is with Lik-Rifa."

"Then you are with us," Elvar said.

"I am with the Bloodsworn," Orka said, and felt a thrill in her blood at the saying of those words.

You should be with me , Ulfrir's voice said inside her skull.

Get out of my thought-cage, old man , she snarled.

"And the Bloodsworn are with me," Elvar smiled.

"As am I, Little-Elvar," a large voice said, Jarl Orlyg striding around from behind the Bloodsworn, Dagrun at his shoulder. "If you will have me."

"Jarl Orlyg," Elvar frowned. "I did not expect to see you walk into my hall."

It is my hall , Ulfrir's voice corrected in Orka's head.

"The world is upside down," Orlyg said. "Svelgarth has fallen, but I have my Tainted and my drengrs about me yet. The warriors of Svelgarth can still bite. I would throw my axe in with you, Little-Elvar, fight with you and your wolf against the dragon and the rat."

"The rat?" Ulfrir said. "What do you mean?"

"Rotta the rat-god is with Lik-Rifa," Orlyg said. "He led the assault on Svelgarth."

"You must be mistaken," the winged woman beside Ulfrir hissed.

"He was chained, punished, worse than dead," Ulfrir growled.

"His chains are broken, then, and he is much healed," Orlyg said. "He looked alive enough to me when I attacked his warband on the banks of the Nidden and he smashed one of my drakkars to kindling."

"You must be mistaken," Ulfrir echoed the winged woman, "a rune-wielder, perhaps, some man of Seier or Galdur-power?"

"No, Rotta lives," Orka said. "I have seen him, spoken with him."

Ulfrir turned his gaze upon her, and she met it.

You have spoken to him?

Aye, he smelled your scent upon me, knew I had spoken to you.

Slowly Ulfrir nodded.

This time I shall make sure he is dead.

"I accept your axe, Jarl Orlyg," Elvar said. "It seems you have helped us already, with the news you bring."

"There is more news," Glornir said. "Lik-Rifa and Rotta are marching this way."

"What?" Elvar said.

"How do you know?" Ulfrir asked, stepping to Elvar's shoulder.

"Grok told them," the giant raven squawked, hopping from behind the Bloodsworn.

Elvar's eyes flared wide at the sight of the giant raven, and Ulfrir's eyes narrowed.

"Where is the other one," a deep-vibrating voice boomed, and Orka saw Varg jump at the shock of it, searching for the voice. Orka tracked it back to the giant head upon the pedestal, which she had thought was a bust. Now, though, she saw that there was life in its pale-swirling eyes, that its lips parted in a wide smile.

The tales of Jarl St?rr's counsellor are true, then , Orka thought .

"Kló here," the second raven croaked at the giant head, hopping to stand alongside Grok.

"Ha, Grok and Kló, I should have known you two rascals were still alive," Hrung boomed. "And what mischief are you two causing now?"

"None," Kló squawked indignantly. "Grok and Kló help friends. Friends are good."

"You never said that when you served my father," Ulfrir said, a low-rasped growl.

"World different now. Snaka dead, Grok and Kló alone long time, Grok and Kló afraid," Grok said.

"Grok and Kló need friends," Kló said. "Friends help Grok and Kló stay safe."

"Unless your friends are fighting a dragon," Hrung said, his laughter echoing around the chamber. "No one is safe, here," he continued to laugh. "But we can still be friends." His laughter boomed out again.

"I knew these ravens," Ulfrir warned Elvar, "they served my father, spied for him. They cannot be trusted, their only loyalty is to Snaka."

"Snaka dead," Kló said mournfully.

"They have helped me," Orka said. "Saved me twice now, and, Elvar, they took your message to the Bloodsworn. They have proved themselves trustworthy to me ."

Be careful who you trust , Ulfrir whispered inside her head.

I make my own judgements, do not think to tell me what I should or should not do.

"Orka our friend," Kló croaked.

"And Grok telling truth," the other raven squawked. "Dragon and rat marching here from Darl."

"How long before they are here?" Elvar asked the raven.

"Grok not know," the raven grumbled. "Depend how fast they walk."

"But Grok and Kló can watch them for you, tell you where they are," Kló said. "If you be Grok and Kló's friend."

Elvar looked at the two ravens, and slowly a smile spread across her face. "No matter how strange these times are, there seem to always be new surprises around each new day. I would be grateful to you both if you could watch Lik-Rifa for me, and tell me when she is close," Elvar said. "And I would be glad to call you both friends." She looked from the ravens to Orlyg to Glornir. "You are all welcome here, and by the looks of it you have journeyed far and hard. Please, let us find you rooms to sleep and give you food to eat and ale to drink."

"Good idea," croaked one of the ravens.