Chapter Forty-Five

Gunnar stopped on the edge of the clearing where the giant Yggdrasil grew. He shifted, holding up a hand to forestall the warriors behind him. "He and Astrid are in the clearing," he whispered to the men.

Birger squinted, trying to see them through the screen of skinny pines that blocked their view of the meadow. "Where? I can't see a thing through all these-" he stopped and hit his forehead with his palm. "Right. Wolf. You smell them."

With a crooked smile on his face, Gunnar nodded to the man. "Yes. Their scent is very strong. The boy is fearful." He sniffed the air again. "And the woman is angry. More angry than fearful."

Erik tipped his chin up in agreement. "That would be Astrid. She may not be a warrior like her daughter, but she is stronger than most men I know. She would never have gone with him if it had been only her own life that was threatened."

Vidar's face showed his worry. Again, he was in the middle of a disaster. At least this time, it was a disaster not of his own ma