Read Online Emer's Quest (Manannan Trilogy) by Michele McGrath - Free Book Online

while the dark-haired girl joined them, fawning on Rolf and laughing at his jokes. She kept darting glances over at Emer and smirking as Rolf fondled her absently.
    “Who is that girl who keep s looking at me?” Emer asked the woman sitting next to her.
    “Oh, her!” There was contempt in the woman’s voice. “That’s Brina , Rolf’s latest woman. He picked her up on his travels and brought her here, more fool him.”
    “She’s a captive?” Emer asked, startled. The girl had none of the demeanour she associated with slaves.
    “She is and she isn’t — if you get my meaning. She’s risen above herself , as long as she finds favour in Rolf’s eyes. His women generally don’t last long, but she’s done better than most.”
    “What will happen to her then?” Emer felt horrified , although she knew such things went on even in her island home.
    “He’ll pass her on to one of the others or sell her, I suppose. Good riddance when he does. That one has a sharp tongue and she’ll go too far one of these days. I’d watch her if I were you. Perhaps she sees you as a rival.”
    “She needn’t; I’m not her rival.”
    “But perhaps you’d like to be, hey?” The woman shot her a sharp look and Emer opened her mouth to answer when she sensed someone near and looked up.
    “Come with me.” Atli had risen and come over to her, picking up the bag. “Let’s go, so you can check these things Rolf has brought.”
    He picked up a horn lantern and led her out of the longhouse. A small hut stood nearby with a low doorway, which Atli had to stoop to enter. Emer followed him in and he shut the door behind her, barring it carefully. Emer looked round. The hut had a table with pieces of vellum stacked on top of it. Chests and sacks lined the wall and a couple of stools stood beside the table. Atli hung up the lantern and pushed the vellum aside. He put Rolf’s sack on the table, opened the thong and stood back, gesturing to Emer.
    “ Has he found the right materials?” he asked.
    Emer laid out the containers on the table . They had been sealed with pieces of hide and tied with thongs. It took her some time to open them and to check each one.
    “The se three are correct, as far as I can tell. Only the yellow soil is needed to complete the mixture.”
    “Good.” Atli helped her reseal the beakers and hung the sack onto one of the pegs. “No one comes in here except Hari, Faraldr and me. It’s where we do the figuring and trading. It is also where I store certain items. Everyone knows that they are not to enter unless they want to feel my displeasure. The bag will be safer here than in the longhouse.”
    Emer nodded. “Atli…” she started to say and then stopped.
    “Yes?”
    “I have only ever seen this done once before and I have never tried it myself. I cannot be sure that it will work or that I will be able to see what you want me to.”
    “ I accept that, but you will try?”
    “ Yes. I promised to obey you and I don’t break my promises.”
    “Good. Let ’s hope this works, it would make life easier for all of us, but don’t fear if it does not. No doubt your dreams will come again, unaided. We can only wait and see.”
    Atli picked up the lantern and started towards the door when Emer said,
    “If you free my father, I will wed Hari, but Hari does not want me.”
    Atli stood still and laughed. The sound was not pleasant. “ Hari does not know what he wants — he never has, which is why I make such decisions for him. In any event, his wishes do not concern me. He is my son and he will obey me. Wed him. Stay barren and continue to dream, or give him sons who share your talent. That is what I want you to do.”
    “He will not be happy.”
    “Neither does his happiness interest me. Once it did. I had great hopes for him but that was long ago, before his mother died. He was a bright little boy but he changed. He has never been a credit to me since. It’s you who is the important one. I want you to be