Page 11 of The Stag & The Owl
Alina grudgingly held out her arm and Roarkunlocked the iron wrist cuff.She considered pretending to trip andspilling the chamber pot’s contents on his head as he followed herup the ladder, but with her recent luck she’d be made to clean itup.Plus, she didn’t want to lose her chance to be deck side.
The crew stopped what they were doing andwatched as she poured her piss over the side, rinsed the pot outwith a ladle full of seawater, and set it down on the deck next tothe bucket.She lengthened her spine and filled her chest withbrisk, salt-tinged air, and took in her surroundings with Roarkstanding no more than two paces from her, watching her everymove.
“I’m not going to jump over the side ifthat’s what you’re worried about,” she told him.“I’ve decided tobe an accommodating prisoner while I wait for my father’slongboats, what you call warships, to catch up to you.”She facedwest and smiled as the eastward wind blew her hair back, and thenshe faced east, where her homeland was a shrinking line on thehorizon.“I hope you and every man on this ship have made peacewith your gods,” she said loudly enough for others to hear.“Myfather’s retribution will be swift and merciless.”
“If he figures out to look for us at all,”Leif said from behind her.He stepped up to her other side with asmug grin.“We covered our tracks and left pieces of your gown andcloak to make it look like you were dragged off into the woods bysome wild beast.We even left a trail of pig’s blood to completethe ruse.”He chortled and lifted his chin toward Roark.“That washis idea.”
“My father will figure it out,” Alina said.He wouldn’t stop his search for her until he had absolute proofshe’d been dragged off and killed.
“Maybe,” Leif said.“Maybe not.Even if hedoes, it’ll take him several days of searching for your bodyfirst.”
“His longboats sail three times as fast asyour barge of a ship with the wind at your back,” Alina countered.“And you are sailing against the…” Wind.Which had stopped blowingeastward and now blew west.
Roark put his nose to the wind, while Leifshowed no signs of noticing it had shifted in his favor.If he had,he’d have surely been gloating by now.Either way, there wasnothing Alina could do about the wind, but she could get someanswers.
“Why am I here?”she asked Leif.
“You’re here at the pleasure of my father,Laird Roger MacKinnon,” he answered her.“You’re his prisoner untilyour father pays a king’s ransom for you, the terms of which willbe presented to him in a fortnight’s time whenThe Roversails back to Sea Ridge and presents your father the ransomdemands.”
“Why me?Why my father?”
“Because you’re your parents’ only daughterand they ruined my family.”
Alina tilted her head at Leif.“How so?”
“They banished my father and uncle and theirfamilies from Sea Ridge for being loyal to their liege, takingtheir wealth and lands as their own.”
Alina chuffed.“My parents did this?When?”
“Twenty years ago, when your father becameking and your mother his queen.”
Alina furrowed her brows.“The only people myfather banished from Sea Ridge then were his uncle Fenrir’s familyand the yellow beards who’d followed him, after they’d attempted tomurder my mother and father, and my father killed Fenrir in a trialby combat.”
“Lies,” Leif spat.
“No,” Alina said.“They’re not.”The entirekingdom of Sea Ridge knew this story.“Was your father one ofFenrir’s men?”
Roark, who’d been listening intently, cockedhis head at Leif.
“You’ll find out in due time,” Leif said.“I’ve told you all I’m going to until then.”
Alina still had one question.One point tomake.“If your family was brought to ruin by my parents, how is itthey’re wealthy, landed lairds in the Green Isles?”
“My father still had some friends and familyleft in the world not swayed by your parents’ lies.”
“Lies?”Alina snorted.“Fenrir’s own wife andson testified against him at his trial.His wife confessed theykilled my father’s mother and made it look like she took her ownlife.That Fenrir smothered my father’s father, his own brother,while he slept.His son confessed his father ordered the murders ofmy father’s two brothers who’d preceded him to the throne, as wellas an earlier attempt on my father’s life, which took my mother’sbrother instead.”
“What were they supposed to do?”Leifbellowed.“When the choice your father gave them was to lie ordie?”
“That’s not—”
“Time for you to go back in the hold,” Roarksaid, stepping between Alina and Leif.He picked up the chamber potand held it out to her.“Now.”
Alina snatched the pot and jerked her armaway as Roark reached for her elbow.
“You first,” he said, pointing toward thehatch to the hold.
“Why?”she snapped.“Afraid I’ll hit you overthe head with it?”
