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watched her for a moment and then turned his attention to Calder’s tent. Brenna God’s-Eye was right. It could be only him to make Calder see that his position was still strong.
     
    Leif could not foresee, and he could not control, what consequences might fall from these choices. He was neither a seer nor a leader. He was only a warrior and a friend.
     
     
    ~oOo~
     
     
    After two days and four trips, the raiders had taken from the castle all the bounty the ships could carry back, even with their load lightened by about thirty who had volunteered to stay for the winter.
     
    The camp was struck, and raiders carried gear and chests of precious metals and jewels back to the shore. Calder stood by the black ring that had been their central fire and surveyed the work. With a slow, satisfied nod, he turned to Knut. “You and Viger—kill the captives.” Knut nodded and turned to find Viger.
     
    “Hold!” Leif spoke, strongly, before he’d thought, and Calder gave him a narrow look.
     
    With the camp struck, they had a clear line of sight to the pen. The healing woman—her name was Olga, he had learned—had been returned to her fellows that morning and bound again as they’d begun their preparations to leave this site. Leif did not think any woman had been beset that day; there had been too much to do to take such a distraction.
     
    He hoped that was true. He should have paid closer attention. Now, though, he had to answer Calder and explain why he’d contravened his order in that way.
     
    “The healer. She knows our language. She can be a help to us at the castle.”
     
    Calder smirked. “You like her look, my friend?”
     
    Leif didn’t answer, and Calder’s smirk grew into smugness.
     
    “Fine.” He waved at Knut. “Bring my friend’s pet to him. Kill the rest.”
     
     
    ~oOo~
     
     
    He would have wished Olga brought to him first, but Viger and Knut had a different idea.
     
    When Viger handed the end of the rope tether to Leif, Olga was spattered with the blood of her friends, and those deep brown eyes were round with fear and shock.
     
    “I am sorry,” he said as he cut her bonds. “I would have spared you that if I could.”
     
    “Is—is way of things,” she answered, her silky voice shaking. When her hands were free, she rubbed her wrists. “I not free. This right?”
     
    Never before had he thought long about the plight of the slave. Slaves were the vanquished; their freedom was simply another thing that they had lost. But he felt a pang of compunction now.
     
    “No, not free. We will bring you to the castle. We need you to ease our way with your people. And Sven is returning home, so we might have use of your healing. So we cannot let you go. But I would leave you unbound if you will stay without the rope. You understand?”
     
    With her face turned up, she studied him, her eyes scanning back and forth over his. “You can keep men away?”
     
    “I can.” And he would. He felt an investment in this small woman, a protective urge. He knew not from where it came, but it was strong.
     
    “Your word is good?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
     
    “It is.” That was true as well. He did not make promises lightly, even to a slave, and he bore their consequences willingly. His word was the most valuable thing he had.
     
    “Then no rope.”
     
     
    ~oOo~
     
     
    Strong though he was, Vali barely made it to the castle. Mere moments after they’d entered the hall, while Leif was still standing with his eyes closed, battling the memory of his son’s head dressed like a meal, the mighty Storm-Wolf crashed to the stone floor, unconscious. Brenna God’s-Eye took two quick steps toward him and then pulled up as if she had surprised herself.
     
    When they pulled his fur from him, they saw that his back was soaked in fresh blood; he had reopened at least part of his wound.
     
    Leif found Olga’s eyes. “We have need of your healing before we will have need of your words, it