Once aboard the knarr, Orn gave the crew instructions, ensuring they had a good hold on the ship. He was about to signal Gereld to start channelling, but he heard his father clear his throat. Hearing his father, he turned to him with slight resignation. “Can we talk about this another time, Father? We have a long journey ahead of us, and time is a factor.”

“Son, I know I wasn’t there, but this is your future. I…it’s important to me.”

“You wouldn’t believe me, anyway. It’s kind of…”

“Don’t give me that ‘it’s complicated’ nonsense. You sound like your mother. She wouldn’t tell me either. So? Is she Halder? Is she Nevan? Who is this girl? Will I get to meet her? What does she look like? I am your father. I deserve to know!”

“All right, but you won’t believe me.”

“I trust you, son.”

“It’s Briga.”

“She is named for the weeping goddess?”

“She is the weeping goddess.” He stared into his father’s eyes.

Vylder wore an incredulous expression as he looked at his son. “This is a joke, right? You’re joking with me right now. I’d expect this from Erik, but from…”

Orn cut him off. “I thought you trusted me. It’s not a joke. I’m serious. Did you see me on the docks? The windstorm in the pit arena? The voice that I can speak with that all can hear and understand? That was me, Father! How is it, do you think, that I could do that?”

Vylder opened his mouth to speak, and then, having nothing he could say, closed his mouth and scratched his head. He sat down and let out an explosive breath. Orn watched him for a moment and grasped his shoulder. “We can talk later, all right? I need to focus now.” Orn channelled the voice so Gereld and the two ship crews could hear him. “We will go until the sun goes down, then rest for the night and continue in the morning. Let us begin.”

Orn and Gereld started with currents. The two sips started moving faster. The timbers groaned as the power of the slipstream currents pushed the ships through the water. Once they had adjusted their currents to match speeds, Orn brought in the wind and the two ships’ speed almost doubled.

It was so much easier this time. He could feel a significant difference. Not only could he feel the difference in the power he could wield, but he could feel it in the skill he could wield it with. Vylder could only hold on tight and look at his son with awe. He did not know his son possessed such power.

The two ships arrived in Raugus on the morning of Starsday. Orn, his parents, and Thayn walked to Darius’ estate. As they moved along the street, Vylder was subdued, as he was still trying to wrap his head around all that he had learned. Venna broke the silence. “You’re awfully quiet, love. What’s wrong?”

Vylder paused for a moment and then gave a simple answer. “A lot.”

“Care to talk about it?”

“I don’t even know where to begin. It hasn’t yet been a month, but it may as well have been a decade. So much has changed. Orn…he is not the same boy anymore. And Erik, he used to joke around all the time, but…” Vylder took a shuddering breath as his eyes moistened, “he doesn’t joke anymore. I worry that it’s all my fault. Everything that happened, it’s my fault. If I had of…”

Venna rounded on him and pressed her hand into his chest. Although she had tears in her eyes, her face wore an expression of steely resolve. “Now you stop that! None of us, none of us saw this coming. They used Turrin, a six-year-old boy…You did nothing wrong. Nothing! You hear me? Nothing.” She hugged him fiercely.

“Well, at least they let him go.”

“What? No, they shot him with an arrow. He is alright now. Gelder’s last act was to heal him.”

“What do you mean ‘last act’?”

“He died of his wounds. He was protecting someone that night when the bastards ran him through.”

Vylder tugged on his beard forcefully, his entire body tense, trying to contain his anger. He looked away for a moment as the tears in his eyes finally spilled over.

“Are you all right?”

“Mm-hmm. I’ll be fine. I’m fine. Mm-hmm…”

Venna hugged him tighter. “Come, we’re falling behind.”

They arrived at the Villa just before lunchtime. As they approached the gate to the villa, Sir Uhter greeted them, delighted they had returned. He escorted them to the main building, where they were all greeted warmly.

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Appolina wrapped Venna in a warm embrace. “You have come back! I am so happy to see you!” she said enthusiastically. Then her eyes widened as her head tilted back, taking in the enormous man beside Venna. “Your husband? Welcome, welcome. I am so glad they find you. Please come, we must eat.” They entered the villa. Fortunately, the ceilings were high enough for Vylder to stand up, but only just.

As they sat around the table, Orn put forward his idea to alter the plan. “Mother, Father, Erik, I think we should go to Bosberg first so you can go home. It is on the way to Penbach. I intend to continue there alone. I think you should take time to be together.”

“Ah, no Orn. That is not happening. We are coming with you. We stay together as a family. End of discussion,” said Venna softly, although her expression showed her resolve.

“But..”

“End. Of. Discussion!” she repeated, much more firmly this time.

Overhearing their conversation, Thayn interjected. “There is one caveat to be made, Lady Venna. Erik and Selti. I need them to go see my brother in Fludavera. I cannot say why, but it is of utmost importance.”

“I need to know what this is about.”

“I cannot say.”

“Well, then Erik cannot go.”

“Please, I don’t wish to make this a decree.”

“Oh, do not try that nonsense with me! I am not a Skordian. Besides, I am older than you, brother.”

“Dammit, woman! This is about the future of our people! You need to trust me on this!”

“No, Thayn. You need to trust me.”

Thayn tugged his beard in frustration and then turned to Darius and asked, “Is there somewhere we can go to talk in private?”

“Anywhere in the gardens. You can see if anyone is nearby. That is as private as it will get.”

“Thank you, Darius. Walk with me, Venna. Vylder, you as well.”

They walked out into the garden where Thayn told them of Viggin’s problem and his proposed solution. The Avdlaks were speechless for several moments while they digested what was just revealed to them. Vylder broke the silence. “First Orn gets engaged to a Goddess, apparently, and now this? By the Gods, I am apart from my family for less than a month, and they managed to flip the world on its head!”

Thayn couldn’t help but smile at Vylder. “The question is, will you consent?”

“You are asking us if we would be willing to give up our son? The answer is no, we would not.”

Venna finally spoke, “Vylder, maybe we should…”

“No! He is our son. Our son! I will not just give up being his parent. No. No!” As Vylder said this, fresh tears began forming in his eyes. He felt his family being pulled apart again all over again.

Thayn put his hands up in supplication. “It is only on paper. He will always be your son. It is an adoption so that my brother can name Erik his heir. You can stay with him in Fludavera, and…”

“So now we have to leave our home? No! This discussion is over. I will not allow it!” Vylder’s face was red as he was becoming agitated. He stormed off, heading back to the villa.

As he walked through the arched entrance, he was so distracted He didn’t notice he was not inside the villa. It was only when he saw the water he was about to step into that he realised he was on a pebble beach. He heard a soft female voice that surrounded him and came from within. “In all the world, this is my favourite place. Many times I have watched him as he played and fished and shared his joys, worries and fears with his brother.”

Vylder slowly turned around and saw a young woman with blonde hair, a crown of blue and yellow flowers, emerald eyes and a silver dress that shimmered almost hypnotically.

“I have finally lost my mind. That or I am still enslaved, and this is a dream.”

She laughed a musical sound. “You are not dreaming, and you are perfectly sane. You wanted to meet me, well, here I am.” She reached her hands out to take his. “I am Briga.”

“I’m not smart like Venna, but I’m not stupid either. I am getting a feeling this is more to do with Erik than it is to do with Orn.”

“You do yourself a disservice, Father. While revealing impressive insight, you denigrate your intellect,” she admonished him jocularly. She then continued more seriously, “But I digress. Erik must be king. The future depends on it, Vylder. You and Venna are a nexus in your world. There are others, as my brothers have their works to complete, but you and your family are mine. Your line will be a dynasty that will rule the Halder for centuries. In fact, they will rule until it is no longer necessary to rule. I can tell you no more beyond this.”

Vylder closed his eyes and said in a quiet voice, “I feel like my family is being torn apart.”

“Be at ease, father. You will live to see your family thrive because your family is my family.” Briga consoled him as she brought his hand to her face and nestled into his palm. Her skin began glowing, and her eyes turned into an ocean green as tears spilled from her eyes and soaked into Vylder’s hand. He looked into her eyes and felt fully her divine presence. His heart settled and the worries and doubts that had plagued him were lifted. Vylder fell to his knees and sobbed, a mixture of grief, sorrow, and relief. A tangled knot of pain in his soul that was finally soothed.

Briga stroked his hair affectionately and then guided him back to his feet. “You need to return, but we will meet again soon. Until then…” She walked him to the archway and before he knew it, he was back in front of the villa.

Venna placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “A divine visitation?”

He didn’t have to say it or nod in acknowledgement, for the truth was in his eyes.

After lunch, they returned to the ships, with Orn, his family and the others riding the knights’ spare horses. “I guess we need to get to Fludavera,” Orn said to Venna with resignation.

“It is a delay, but yes, we do.”

“Very well. The delay is not ideal, but if we must, we must.”

Once they had that settled, Thayn took Sir Uhter aside and spoke to him quietly. “You have proven yourself a loyal subject of my brother’s. I have met few men in my life as honourable as you. I would ask a great service of you, good sir.”

“If I can be of service, of course, your Grace.”

“From this time forward, I need you and your men to protect the Avdlaks and the Sogards. No harm must come to them, even if that harm comes from my own family. Do you understand?”

“I must admit I am perplexed, but my life is there’s.” said the knight captain, before laughing as he added, “Although I am certain I am just curtains on an already functioning window.”

“Good man. Thank you. I owe you a great debt.”

“No, it is my honour.”

Thayn nodded, and they boarded the ships. Orn spoke with Gereld before boarding the knarr. “With the knights and horses onboard, we can reach similar speeds, but we will need to accelerate and decelerate much slower for the horses’ sake.”

“Wise. I will proceed cautiously.”