Chapter 24

Luckily I didn’t have a hangover the following day, and during the day we were shown around the village. I soon learned that even if their islands were the most northern ones, the people here were quite self-sufficient. They grew some oats, barley, and potatoes. There were sheep on the areas not suitable for growing anything. Then there was fish, fish in every possible form and size. Smoked, baked, roasted, cooked, dried - did I say smoked? - fish. And some more fish. I liked fish, but Kara, being born and raised in Aston had some prejudice towards fish as a food, and thinking about the river Aston, I could not really blame her. After tasting some of the offered fish, even she had to admit that it was mostly good or very good.

Once the day was mostly over, we had agreed to have our business meeting the following day, once some more people from the second island had also arrived. However, the day had been quite relaxing after all those days in our boat. Especially when compared to those spent on the First Island. So, I felt quite happy when we three retreated to the small cottage that had been provided for us.

Sometime later I was lying awake in the bed and I was able to sense that neither Kara nor Hantaliel were sleeping, even though we all most likely felt quite relaxed. Well, at least I felt relaxed.

””Stian, you are not asleep, are you?””

I wanted to tell Kara it was a really stupid question to ask, but there was such seriousness in that simple question that I held back all flippant responses.

””No, I’m not.””

””It was you who killed my grandfather, wasn’t it?””

Suddenly I wasn’t at all sleepy anymore and certainly not at all relaxed.

””Yes, but only a very brief moment before he would have killed me.””

””I guess I’ve known it for some time already, but I have not wanted to really understand it.””

I was about to defend myself, but Kara obviously felt that and continued before I could say anything.

””Please, Stian, just listen for a moment longer, since I really need to say this. Please, be patient and listen.””

The way Kara used the Old Language here told me that she was totally serious, and I started to worry. Still, I saw no way to avoid this, since it was my actions that had brought her here, in bed with Hantaliel and me - and carrying my baby.

””Okay.””

At least my voice didn’t fail me even if my mouth suddenly felt very dry. I knew that I shouldn’t really be surprised, since Kara wasn’t at all stupid and she had seen what I was able to do, more than once.

””Don’t be afraid, Stian. I don’t hate you and I have no plans to harm you or our child ... none at all.””

At that point Kara let out a little laugh before she continued.

””I know that I should have many reasons to hate you. You took away the future I had planned for myself, you killed the only person in my family who seemed to care about me, and you gave me this gift - or curse. I’ve been taught that people like this are monsters and then that made me a monster - and yet I didn’t feel any different. Then you risked your own life while protecting me - twice. I cannot imagine that any of my former friends would have done that. Maybe my grandfather would have done something for me, but risking his life for me ... now, when I think about him I wouldn’t be all that sure about him. Now I’m sure that he had killed some people, but mostly he probably had just ordered people to be killed. For sure he liked the power he had over the other members of our family, but he still wasn’t a real leader. That was why he was hiding there, on the ground floor of the library. He liked the idea that he was feared, but he still didn’t want to really lead, because then he would have had to take risks.””