reluctant to abandon her idea, Dana knew he was right. “It’s plain from the scars on his back that a whipping doesn’t improve his attitude. As angry as I am with him, there’s too great a risk I might beat him to death anyway, so I suppose we’ll have to confine him in one of the storehouses.” She turned to look at the row of buildings nearby, wondering which to choose.
“We can’t keep him in the one with food, for that would be like putting a mouse in a sack of grain. It will have to be one of the others,” she mused aloud.
“Since Haakon has taken most of the furs for trading, why not use the one for storing furs?” Erik suggested.
“What are the chances he will set it on fire?”
“With himself locked inside? Not likely.”
Dana continued to pace, wondering if merely confining Brendan would be harsh enough treatment to inspire him to become cooperative. When no more attractive strategy had occurred to her by the time he and Soren arrived, she showed no reluctance to punish him despite her misgivings about the effectiveness of her plan.
When Soren began to complain of being mistreated, Dana quickly silenced him and sent him inside, promising to deal with him later in private. She then turned her full attention to Brendan. The haircut and shave had improved his appearance enormously, but she tried to ignore his good looks. After all, it was his behavior to which she objected. Still, the fact he was even more handsome than she had first imagined proved an unwelcome distraction.
“Do you have something to say for yourself? I can’t imagine that you will have an excuse for taking my father’s horse after Erik told you no one is allowed to ride him, but perhaps that is only because I am not eager to break every rule I hear.”
Brendan thought the color which anger imparted to Dana’s cheeks was wonderfully attractive, but he knew she wouldn’t enjoy hearing such a compliment from him. “Since I am the one who rode Sleipner here, I am responsible for him until he is returned to Grena’s stable. Because I knew I could not overtake him on any other mount, I had no choice but to take your father’s.”
“No choice?” Dana scoffed. “That’s utter nonsense. We have many swift mounts.”
“But none as swift as Sky Dancer. Erik told me so himself,” Brendan contradicted. “You should be thanking me for catching up to your brother before he was thrown instead of criticizing how I did it. Is Sky Dancer more important to your father than a son’s life?”
Erik knew that would depend on which son was endangered. He turned the full force of his anger on Brendan. “First you were concerned about Sleipner, and now about Soren? You are a liar who cares about nothing but yourself. A thrall who will not obey his master is worthless, and that’s exactly what I’ll tell Jørn when he returns home.”
Fearing a shouting match between Erik and Brendan would quickly produce blows, Dana stepped forward to take charge before Brendan could respond with the bitter retort she was certain was already on his lips. “You will come with me, Brendan. I think perhaps a few days of solitude will do you good. You obviously need time to reflect on your actions since coming here so that you can improve them.”
Brendan continued to return Erik’s hostile stare. He didn’t understand why Dana gave the orders rather than her brother when Erik was five years her senior. He wondered if the whole family behaved as strangely as these two did. Truly, they did seem to have been more worried about the white stallion than Soren, and he decided Haakon must be the worst of fathers to have produced such sorry children who cared so little for each other.
“You will come with me,” Dana repeated before turning away. As they walked to the building, she removed the key to the storehouse where furs were kept from her brooch. Once unlocked, the door swung open on well-oiled iron hinges to reveal the paneled interior. There were
“We can’t keep him in the one with food, for that would be like putting a mouse in a sack of grain. It will have to be one of the others,” she mused aloud.
“Since Haakon has taken most of the furs for trading, why not use the one for storing furs?” Erik suggested.
“What are the chances he will set it on fire?”
“With himself locked inside? Not likely.”
Dana continued to pace, wondering if merely confining Brendan would be harsh enough treatment to inspire him to become cooperative. When no more attractive strategy had occurred to her by the time he and Soren arrived, she showed no reluctance to punish him despite her misgivings about the effectiveness of her plan.
When Soren began to complain of being mistreated, Dana quickly silenced him and sent him inside, promising to deal with him later in private. She then turned her full attention to Brendan. The haircut and shave had improved his appearance enormously, but she tried to ignore his good looks. After all, it was his behavior to which she objected. Still, the fact he was even more handsome than she had first imagined proved an unwelcome distraction.
“Do you have something to say for yourself? I can’t imagine that you will have an excuse for taking my father’s horse after Erik told you no one is allowed to ride him, but perhaps that is only because I am not eager to break every rule I hear.”
Brendan thought the color which anger imparted to Dana’s cheeks was wonderfully attractive, but he knew she wouldn’t enjoy hearing such a compliment from him. “Since I am the one who rode Sleipner here, I am responsible for him until he is returned to Grena’s stable. Because I knew I could not overtake him on any other mount, I had no choice but to take your father’s.”
“No choice?” Dana scoffed. “That’s utter nonsense. We have many swift mounts.”
“But none as swift as Sky Dancer. Erik told me so himself,” Brendan contradicted. “You should be thanking me for catching up to your brother before he was thrown instead of criticizing how I did it. Is Sky Dancer more important to your father than a son’s life?”
Erik knew that would depend on which son was endangered. He turned the full force of his anger on Brendan. “First you were concerned about Sleipner, and now about Soren? You are a liar who cares about nothing but yourself. A thrall who will not obey his master is worthless, and that’s exactly what I’ll tell Jørn when he returns home.”
Fearing a shouting match between Erik and Brendan would quickly produce blows, Dana stepped forward to take charge before Brendan could respond with the bitter retort she was certain was already on his lips. “You will come with me, Brendan. I think perhaps a few days of solitude will do you good. You obviously need time to reflect on your actions since coming here so that you can improve them.”
Brendan continued to return Erik’s hostile stare. He didn’t understand why Dana gave the orders rather than her brother when Erik was five years her senior. He wondered if the whole family behaved as strangely as these two did. Truly, they did seem to have been more worried about the white stallion than Soren, and he decided Haakon must be the worst of fathers to have produced such sorry children who cared so little for each other.
“You will come with me,” Dana repeated before turning away. As they walked to the building, she removed the key to the storehouse where furs were kept from her brooch. Once unlocked, the door swung open on well-oiled iron hinges to reveal the paneled interior. There were
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