A Heart of Fire Read Online Free PDF Page A

tomorrow
morning."
    Geera
gasped, stepping back. "Nay! Already?"
    "I
would speak with your father at once. Where is he?” Valdrik asked, his stare
flitting to the stairs and back to her.
    Geera
went ashen, her brow knitted. “Above in his chamber. Oh, this is terrible
news,” she said, dropping her hands to her belly and taking a step back.
    He
disliked the look of her panic, for the cause of her tender emotions heated his
blood to boiling. Her fear made him think of what his sisters had surely looked
like when they knew Aldar's men were upon them.
    His
gut twisted.
    The
only difference was Geera knew he would protect her.
    Aldar's
men attacked unnecessarily. Neither Geera, nor any of the women or children,
deserved this constant fear. He started for the stairs again, ready to be back
with his men preparing for the attack.
    “Valdrik?”
she said, reaching for him.
    Her
cool, slender fingers sank into his skin, and Valdrik released a pent-up sigh.
    He
turned back once more to cup her cheek. There was no mistaking what she wished
this time, for if either of them was more insistent on pressuring her father to
allow their marriage, it was she. He caught her gaze intensely as he pulled her
to him. “I shall try to speak with him once more, yet now is not the time. Do
not fret,” he told her, planting a kiss to her forehead and then turning
completely before she could lengthen the conversation.
    Taking
the stairs two at a time, Valdrik reached his Jarl's rooms with haste, eager to
tell of the news he had returned with. He knocked loudly on the Jarl's door.
    "Come,"
Hadarr shouted a moment later.
    Valdrik
wasted no time. He entered, bowing his head to Hadarr. “I bring news of the war
party, Jarl. A group of fifty men have set camp a half day's ride between our
land and your brother's, on their side of the fjord. Surely they plan to attack
before dawn, after they have restored their energy, and before they think we
shall rise come morning.”
    Hadarr
grunted, but did not appear surprised. Valdrik was not surprised either. Their
enemy's tactics rarely changed.
    “I
knew they would come soon. Winter approaches. My brother always comes again
before winter,” Hadarr said tiredly. The older man tossed down the piece of
wood he had been whittling on and stood to come to Valdrik.
    Hadarr
was an older man, around three-score. Valdrik was not sure exactly of his age,
only that the man's sandy colored hair had begun to fade and his body was now
on the stodgy side. He no longer trained with the men or raided, and had turned
over his leadership in battle to Valdrik. He sensed his Jarl had become tired,
and the many years of battling his brother had worn on his body and soul alike.
    Valdrik
noticed Surguilde then, by the fire. He inclined his head to her, a gesture
which she returned. “Aye, yet there is nothing to be done," he said to his
Jarl. "At least we can prepare ourselves this time. I fear the feast Geera
told me of must hold until after Aldar's men have been dealt with. I've already
sent men to prepare our defenses.”
    Hadarr
shook his head, coming closer, his hands clasped behind his back. “Nay, there
is something to be done this time. I've thought much of this, Valdrik. We have
warriors now. I would have you return to your scouts. We shall ride out to meet
my brother's men this time. If we can take Aldar's raiders by surprise then we
might yet save the village. The people will need their homes, for the coming
winter is said to be harsh. We cannot stand to rebuild every spring.
    "Valdrik,
you know our numbers dwindle toward defeat. We cannot stand to lose anything to
those mongrels again. Not now when we are at the cusp of renewing our
people." He turned, pacing, hands on his sides. Hadarr crossed the room
then and dropped into his seat in a corner. "Maybe by spring we could
afford the loss, but not with winter's approach. They never change their
tactics, thinking us too weak to stand a loss from an attack, but methinks