Read Icefall for Free Online Page B

and I notice he is holding his bone knife.
     
    I climb to my feet. “I hope I haven’t caused too much trouble.”
     
    He says nothing, just stares at me. His eyes are cold, like the eyes of the berserkers in my dream, and his mouth is a hairline crack across his stony face.
     
    “Ole?” I say.
     
    And then Per climbs into the chamber. “Solveig!” he says. “Are you all right?”
     
    “I’m fine,” I say.
     
    “I found her,” Ole says. He gives me a narrowed glance, and he leaves. I watch him climb out of the cave, and then I become aware that I am alone with Per. We are both quiet for a few moments.
     
    “I should have told you,” Per finally says. “Hilda was not just a goat. I should have told you.”
     
    Hearing him say it makes me feel a little better. “I’m sorry I said those things to you. You’re nothing like Hake and his men.”
     
    He shakes his head. “My king’s daughter has no need to apologize to me.”
     
    “But I do apologize.”
     
    “Does this mean we are friends again?”
     
    “We are,” I say. I think about sharing my dream with him, but I hold my tongue. He would only think me more foolish than I’m sure he already does. “We should return to the steading.”
     
    “Yes,” he says. “Everyone will be relieved to see you.”
     
    He leads me from the cave, out into the night. The glacier looks like a wedge of fallen moon, and thin silver clouds race across the black sky. Torches float over the hills around me, across the ravine, flickering specks of bobbing light. Every one has come out looking for me, and suddenly my cheeks are not red from the cold. I hang my head in embarrassment.
     
    “I’ve caused so much trouble,” I whisper.
     
    “Do not worry yourself.”
     
    Per calls to the others, announcing that he has found me, and the lights all pause a moment before moving as one back down the ravine. “Watch your step on these rocks,” Per says, and takes my arm. His kind and reassuring touch warms me.
     
    A short while later, we walk into the steading. Bera paces the yard and rushes me into a hard hug when she sees me.
     
    “Oh, you reckless thing,” she says. “Don’t you go running off ever again.”
     
    “I won’t,” I say. But it feels good to know she cares about me.
     
    “She did find the cave,” Per says. “She looked like she’d been sleeping.”
     
    “Oh, by the gods.” Bera rolls her eyes. “Sleeping? While the rest of us have been stewing and pacing, thinking you were going to freeze to death out there. You wicked child.”
     
    “I’m sorry, Bera.”
     
    Asa and Harald come out of the hall, and Harald runs at me. He throws his arms around my waist and buries his face in my dress. Asa looks at me with an expression I can’t read.
     
    “I’m fine, Harald,” I say.
     
    Harald pushes away. “I knew you were. I told Asa.” He looks at our sister. “Didn’t I tell you?”
     
    Asa nods, and I wonder if she was worried about me, too.
     
    “Now let’s all go inside where it’s warm,” Bera says.
     
    We allow her to usher us into the hall, and then I sit down on one of the benches. Alric is seated nearby, and he nods to me. Asa comes over and places a bowl of fresh skyr in my lap.
     
    “You must be hungry,” she says.
     
    I am, and I eat the sour milk quickly.
     
    Gradually, the warriors come in, ruddy-cheeked and stamping their feet. I feel ashamed and only steal furtive glances at them. They look at me with scowls of confusion, anger, and open hostility.
     
    Alric clears his throat. “Would anyone care for a tale?”
     
    No one answers. He turns to me. “What about the second daughter of our king? What does she fancy?”
     
    “Please,” I say. “Lift the mood.”
     
    Alric bows his head, but does not raise it. He lets it hang on his chest for several moments as if asleep or contemplating his lap. Then he stands, and a hush spreads like hearth-glow over the audience. He looks out across the hall,