Astra reflected his smile, then frowned. "But what if the boy really is Konal's? Maybe he won't care."
"He's raising the brat, isn't he?" Throst pulled her arm away, but held her hand. "Anyway, our time here will be at an end. We turn over his children to Clovis for a good price and then the two of us will slip away to live a better life. Justice will have been done, and we will be richer for it."
Her smile widened and she hugged him in excitement. The soft warmth of her distracted Throst, and he wished he had more time to indulge his lust, but he had to act before Konal could.
"Go now to my sister," he said as he pulled back. "We will not meet again until all is done. Here, this is my cloak pin which I'll place under this rock. When you have Ulfrik's third son or you need to meet me, retrieve this pin and I will know to seek you in your mother's home village in the east. If the pin remains, I will wait nearby for you to show."
He slipped the pin under the rock and pressed it down with his boot. His cloak slipped from his shoulder, and he wrapped it into his hand. He might need it in the fight he expected upon his return to the hideout. Astra's eyes shimmered with tears and she kissed him gently. "I do not know how I will capture Aren on my own, or take him from Ravndal, but I will do all that I can."
"Do your best. If Clovis has all three sons, he would command Ulfrik's life and pay me well. But this youngest one seems less dear to either of them. Perhaps it would be better if you killed the brat outright. That Ulfrik suffer is more important than squeezing out the last bit of gold from Clovis."
Astra blinked and stared expressionless at him. Throst suppressed a smile, knowing his offhand request for murder hit her like a stone. He wondered at her loyalty, and enjoyed learning how far she could be pushed. For so long she had been as pliable but as unbreakable as a green sapling. Yet would she murder a child for his pleasure? It was an interesting question, and if so then what did it mean for his control over her? Would she even be interesting to him any longer, having so thoroughly dominated her?
"You could do that for me, couldn't you? You promised to be my agent in places where I could no longer go. Remember that terrible day I was torn from your side, barely a moment to say farewell. You told me those very words."
"I …" Astra blinked again and her voice trailed off, though her wide eyes never left his.
"If you cannot kill him, then bring him to me. But do not return without achieving either outcome. Now, go. We waste time here, and I have to act before Konal and his men do."
Chapter 37
Throst and Astra walked in silence until close to the hideout, and then she peeled away to warn his sister and mother. Throst watched her disappear into the trees with the grace of a doe, and he wondered if the girl really understood her talent. He regretted that he might be throwing her away too soon, but she could best serve him inside Ulfrik's hall. Should she be caught and the truth beaten out of her, then after this morning it would not matter anyway.
Dawn was yellow and cold, and brown leaves rolled across the dead grass. Silent footing was a precarious thing in autumn, and he would have liked more of it, but his revised plans did not require stealth. That was Astra's purview. He was going to enjoy handling Konal and his men in a way they would never expect.
Despite having no rooster to crow the arrival of the new day, men were already loitering in the yard before the hall. He was surprised, though he should not have been. Konal and his men were gathered together, with the pretense of collecting wood for the hearth, though too many hands made their task unconvincing. Throst noted how they strained to ignore him, only Konal successfully feigning he had no other thought but to kindle the morning fire. But all of them wore swords, giving away their clumsy performance.
"Good morning!" Throst called to them. "You are all gathered together. This is good. I've got news for you."
Konal flung the wedge of firewood back to the pile and turned, his hand reflexively reaching for his hilt. Throst never flinched as he approached, acting as if he did not see Konal barely gaining control of his killing reflex. Astra's news had come none too soon. Throst had but only an instant to make everything work in his favor.
"And where have you been?" Konal challenged him, his hand brushing past the hilt of his sword.
"Getting word from my contact in Ravndal, of course. It seems we've lost our chances at Gunnar."
Konal's men stood straighter, and Throst immediately guessed he had spoken the signal they had expected. His eyes did not leave Konal's, which seemed to glitter with a malevolence befitting his nightmarish scars. In the moment Konal reached for his sword, Dan exited the hall with Olaf behind him. Both men were unarmed but their sudden appearance gave Throst a lucky break.
"I want you to take Hakon to safety for me," he blurted out. The offer had the intended effect of stunning Konal and his men. He continued to surprise them, making their betrayal easier. "It's not safe here, not with Clovis knowing our hideout, and I'm about to deliver bad news to him. Hakon is our only play against Ulfrik for now. Konal, you and your men take him to the caves where we hid from Ulfrik. I will send all of my men with you, but Dan and Olaf will go with me to deliver news to Clovis."
Konal shared a bemused look with his crew, and stances relaxed. He had just offered them everything they wanted, except himself. "I want this done immediately, for Ulfrik may have had someone follow my contact. I can't have the two most powerful men in these lands seeking me at once. Now Konal, I know I promised we would get your son and revenge at one stroke."
"That you did, and I'm not ready to leave without both." Konal's hands flexed and veins stood out from his neck. He certainly relished his acting, Throst thought.
"I've a plan for that as well." He looked at Dan and Olaf, and between the two of them he had some wits and some brawn. They would have to do. "I will tell you in a moment, in private. But first, gather all the men and let's get ready to move."
Throst smiled amiably as Konal nodded, pretended to calm himself, and barked at his men to assemble as the others prepared. Thus far, his plans were coming together, but the remainder of it trusted to Astra warning his sister and for Dan and Olaf to follow him on faith alone.
The instant Konal turned away, Throst grabbed them both and tugged them close. His voice was a faint whisper. "Konal and his men are traitors. Get Hakon, forget the others."
He released them and the quick exchange seemed to pass unnoticed. To his surprise, neither Olaf nor Dan betrayed any surprise. They shared an expressionless glance, and Olaf melted away as Dan stepped up to Throst's side. He had expected confusion from him at least, but maybe they were even more astute than himself. He would consider it later, for now he had to get away with Hakon.
The others were still bleary with sleep and they trudged out to the cold morning with curses and belches, scratching lice-infested heads and stumbling into each other. Another night of stolen ale had rendered them useless, and it was no great loss to sacrifice these fools. Konal looked them over, then his eyes brightened.
"Where's Olaf?" he asked sharply.
"Gone to fetch Hakon and my family." Konal smiled and wrapped his cloak tighter into his hand. "I can tell from your face you don't trust him. Then let's both get Hakon and I can share my plan as we walk." He held his hands wide and saw Konal scan him for a weapon. He had only a small knife, nothing compared to Konal's sword. He wanted Konal to be completely confident in a fast kill.
"All right, let's go. Dan stays here."