about a problem in the making?
Sounded like a good possibility. It reflected Michael's kind of thinking.
„Has something happened?" Kristen asked. „You're not just tired."
„It's not anything I can put a name on. Just a feeling that something is wrong. A resonance. People I've been talking to, they feel it too. It feeds on itself." He glanced around. The children had made their retreat. Little Bragi apparently wasn't interested in his grandfather tonight. Nor was Ragnarson's youngest boy, Ainjar, interested in his father. He had not made an appearance either. „Forget it. Let's talk about what's bothering you."
She took him from the blind side. He was mustering the troops for a squabble about the succession, and she said, „I'm not getting any younger. I don't want to spend the rest of my life being Ragnar's widow."
His first reaction was a startled „Hunh?" He stared. The muscles in her neck were taut. Tension stiffened her body. She was pale. She was milking the fingers of her left hand with her right.
„I'm nineteen years old."
„Over the hill for sure."
„Come on. I'm serious."
„I know. I'm sorry. You have a different perspective on nineteen when you're my age. Go on."
„I'm nineteen. Ragnar has been gone a long time. I don't want to spend my whole life being his memorial."
„I see." This was a problem he had not foreseen. Differ ent backgrounds, he supposed. Kaveliners had customs he would never understand. „Why are you telling me? It's your life. Go ahead and live it."
She relaxed a little. „I thought you would. ... I thought you might. .. ."
„You found somebody you're interested in?"
„No. Not that. I wouldn't do that. It's just. ... I feel locked up. I don't mind keeping this place, and taking care of the kids—in fact, I love it—but that isn't all there is, is there? All of my friends are... ."
„I said it's your life. Do what you want. You're a sensible girl. You won't make you or me any problems we can't handle."
The tension left her completely. So completely she looked limp. Am I that intimidating? he wondered.
„I was so afraid you'd think I'm some kind of traitor."
He snorted. „Crap. The gods didn't make pretty girls to waste on dead men. If I wasn't old enough to be your father, and if you hadn't been married to Ragnar, I'd be out here chasing you myself." He stopped there. That wasn't quite the way he should say it. Too much subject to misinterpreta tion.
She knew his style well enough to accept it in the spirit in which it was meant. „Thanks. It's good to hear I'm not an old hag yet."
„You've got two or three good years left. Speaking of your friends, what ever happened to that tiny little one? The blonde. Sherilee. Something like that."
Kristen smiled saucily. „Interested?"
„No. I. ... Uh. ... I haven't seen her around. I just wondered."
„I've seen the way you look at her. The game you're thinking about doesn't have anything to do with running through the woods."
He grinned weakly, unable to articulate a protest. The woman in question had stricken him speechless the few times he had encountered her. He did not know why. That is, he understood his glandular response, but not why the particular female should have initiated it.
„I'm not shopping, Kristen. I just wondered. She's your age, after all."
„Be twenty-two in a couple months. Don't let Inger see you looking at her like that. She'll cut your throat. Yes. She's still around. I see her maybe once a week. You just haven't been around much. She's a little scared of you, you know. You're so quiet and broody, you make her nervous."
„I'm that way because she makes
me
nervous," he admit ted. „I'm supposed to be old enough that women don't affect me that way. I shouldn't even notice them when they're that young."
„I'm not going to say anything. Just keep talking yourself in deeper."
„Don't laugh, either. It's not funny to me. You said Aral comes to see Mist when she's in town. Tell me
Sounded like a good possibility. It reflected Michael's kind of thinking.
„Has something happened?" Kristen asked. „You're not just tired."
„It's not anything I can put a name on. Just a feeling that something is wrong. A resonance. People I've been talking to, they feel it too. It feeds on itself." He glanced around. The children had made their retreat. Little Bragi apparently wasn't interested in his grandfather tonight. Nor was Ragnarson's youngest boy, Ainjar, interested in his father. He had not made an appearance either. „Forget it. Let's talk about what's bothering you."
She took him from the blind side. He was mustering the troops for a squabble about the succession, and she said, „I'm not getting any younger. I don't want to spend the rest of my life being Ragnar's widow."
His first reaction was a startled „Hunh?" He stared. The muscles in her neck were taut. Tension stiffened her body. She was pale. She was milking the fingers of her left hand with her right.
„I'm nineteen years old."
„Over the hill for sure."
„Come on. I'm serious."
„I know. I'm sorry. You have a different perspective on nineteen when you're my age. Go on."
„I'm nineteen. Ragnar has been gone a long time. I don't want to spend my whole life being his memorial."
„I see." This was a problem he had not foreseen. Differ ent backgrounds, he supposed. Kaveliners had customs he would never understand. „Why are you telling me? It's your life. Go ahead and live it."
She relaxed a little. „I thought you would. ... I thought you might. .. ."
„You found somebody you're interested in?"
„No. Not that. I wouldn't do that. It's just. ... I feel locked up. I don't mind keeping this place, and taking care of the kids—in fact, I love it—but that isn't all there is, is there? All of my friends are... ."
„I said it's your life. Do what you want. You're a sensible girl. You won't make you or me any problems we can't handle."
The tension left her completely. So completely she looked limp. Am I that intimidating? he wondered.
„I was so afraid you'd think I'm some kind of traitor."
He snorted. „Crap. The gods didn't make pretty girls to waste on dead men. If I wasn't old enough to be your father, and if you hadn't been married to Ragnar, I'd be out here chasing you myself." He stopped there. That wasn't quite the way he should say it. Too much subject to misinterpreta tion.
She knew his style well enough to accept it in the spirit in which it was meant. „Thanks. It's good to hear I'm not an old hag yet."
„You've got two or three good years left. Speaking of your friends, what ever happened to that tiny little one? The blonde. Sherilee. Something like that."
Kristen smiled saucily. „Interested?"
„No. I. ... Uh. ... I haven't seen her around. I just wondered."
„I've seen the way you look at her. The game you're thinking about doesn't have anything to do with running through the woods."
He grinned weakly, unable to articulate a protest. The woman in question had stricken him speechless the few times he had encountered her. He did not know why. That is, he understood his glandular response, but not why the particular female should have initiated it.
„I'm not shopping, Kristen. I just wondered. She's your age, after all."
„Be twenty-two in a couple months. Don't let Inger see you looking at her like that. She'll cut your throat. Yes. She's still around. I see her maybe once a week. You just haven't been around much. She's a little scared of you, you know. You're so quiet and broody, you make her nervous."
„I'm that way because she makes
me
nervous," he admit ted. „I'm supposed to be old enough that women don't affect me that way. I shouldn't even notice them when they're that young."
„I'm not going to say anything. Just keep talking yourself in deeper."
„Don't laugh, either. It's not funny to me. You said Aral comes to see Mist when she's in town. Tell me
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