Malice Striker Read Online Free PDF Page B

affections.”
    “Hah!” Brökk slammed his fist into the table.
    “Unbeknownst to either of us, Etta had a lover, Baron Loudon, a commander under the king of the Scots. They came up with the notion of her becoming a rich widow.” Konáll folded his arms and sighed.
    Ali shook his head. “I have known such women. Setting out to trap a warrior to wed and then plot his demise.”
    The serving wench approached their table, and by unspoken mutual consent the men fell silent. She served the drinks, the bread, and the salmon, and left.
    “Ah.” Ali stroked his goatee. “Etta played the virgin hand, and you offered marriage to gain her sweet puss. It is a situation many a man finds himself in.”
    “A fool finds himself in.” Brökk sneered at his former idiocy.
    “Ali, friend, you will find my brother soured on wives and women. He blames himself for Hjørdis’s capture. Forsooth, his alliance with Etta was not a bad one had there not been a lover and a plot to kill my brother. Etta would gain coin and Brökk a new holding in Mercia.” Konáll stretched his feet and crossed one boot over the other. “I am at fault as well. I encouraged the marriage. Etta deceived the both of us.”
    “A woman of great beauty, I am certain.” Ali speared a slice of smoked salmon.
    “Striking. Lush. ’Twas not a man at court who didn’t lust after her, but she had eyes only for Brökk, or so she led us to believe.”
    “You wed her and brought her here?” Ali asked around a mouthful.
    “Aye.”
    Konáll tore a small loaf of bread in two. “He will not speak of that time. But for many moons Bita Veðr improved under Etta’s management. The woman’s deceit unmans even me when I think back, but we had no reason not to trust her. The only person who did not take to her was Hjørdis. She charmed all else.”
    Brökk hated the memories of the besotted fool he had been with Etta. If only he had listened to Hjørdis. If only he had not believed Hjørdis’s dislike of Etta due to jealousy at no longer being the sole center of his attention.
    “I know of no man who has not been led by his cock at least once in his life.” Ali knifed a chunk of fish. “How did Hjørdis come to be taken?”
    “Baron Loudon arrived in midsummer claiming he had been commanded to bring a missive from King Kenneth’s queen for Etta. Neither Konáll nor I had ever heard of the man and we accepted his tale as truth.” Brökk sipped his ale. “Etta had fostered at the king’s court under his queen, and when we were in Mercia, she received many missives from Queen Lorna.”
    “Etta claimed the missives were from the queen, but the seal on the missive we discovered later was that of King Kenneth’s.” Konáll stabbed a cube of fish. “But, I digress. Loudon came with not one ship but three, and many men under his command. He claimed to be on the way to the East to trade.”
    “It is not unusual. I have two ships in harbor here.” Ali glanced out the window.
    “Aye. ’Twas the reason we were unconcerned.” Konáll sighed. “We believed the other ship empty, but did not board it as we normally would have.”
    “Why not? Never have I visited without your men checking all my ships.” Ali frowned and glanced from one brother to the other.
    “All the dogs and cats in the village and at Bita Veðr suddenly developed a strange sickness and began dying by the score. Half the men, women, and children came down with a stomach malady. Two dwellings caught afire and the barley crop had to be harvested. We were torn in all directions at once and had not a man to spare.” Konáll shook his head.
    “We were all at fault, brother.” Brökk could not allow Konáll to shoulder blame for his error.
    “You had no suspicion?” Ali asked.
    “Nay, nary a one. You know ’tis our custom to hunt with visiting warriors as we did this morn, with only the nobles and few guards.” Brökk knew once the telling of the tale had started, it must be ended, and he wanted