Read Online The Dark Horse by Marcus Sedgwick - Free Book Online

Sigurd’s mind that he no longer felt grateful to Ragnald for saving his life. He wondered when the change had happened and why. He had begun to distrust the stranger.
    Ragnald spoke again.
    “It seems to me that you two are the finest of the tribe here. . . .”
    “My father—” began Sif, but Ragnald held up a hand.
    “Indeed,” he said. “What I mean to say is that you are the finest of the young people of the Storn. You are ambitious! You have strong wills!”
    He waited a moment for his words to ring in their ears.
    “I suppose,” he continued, “it won’t be long before you are the Lawspeaker here, Sif ?”
    “The Lawspeaker is always a man,” she said bitterly.
    “Always?” asked Ragnald. “Then who will take charge when your father . . . ?”
    “There will be a fight.”
    Ragnald nodded. “As there was between your fathers. Correct?”
    Sigurd grew uneasy. He didn’t like this line of questioning.
    “You’ve learned a lot about us already,” he said.
    Ragnald shrugged. “Perhaps you would walk with me and tell me more?”
    He glanced down to the beach, where the moon lit a silver path out to sea.
    Sig stood where he was, motionless.
    Sif spoke.
    “Of course,” she said. “As I am the Lawspeaker’s daughter, it is my duty to make guests welcome.”
    And Sigurd thought again that maybe he was being unfair to Ragnald. Hadn’t he saved his life? Then he spoke quickly, before Sif ’s words were cold.
    “As one who owes you his life, I am honored to walk with you, Ragnald.”
    “Ah,” he said. “You speak like kings! Let’s walk. . . .”
    So the three strolled down to the moonlit beach, the stones and sand crunching underfoot.

34

    Mouse was looking for Sigurd. Freya had gone to bed, Olaf to the drinking in the great broch, but their son was nowhere to be found.
    She looked in at the door of Gudrun’s hut, but the Wisewoman was sleeping soundly; Sigurd and Sif were long gone.
    The desire to see Sigurd began to overwhelm her. She had been unsettled by Ragnald. She
needed
to see her brother.
    Though she was forbidden to do it, she walked quickly but quietly over to the small stone house where the female hounds were sent when they were having pups. She knew there was a mother in there now.
    “Shhh, Moss,” she said at the low doorway.
    The dog stirred and lifted its head as Mouse crawled inside. The feeling of protection and calm in the kennel cheered Mouse immediately.
    “Are these your pups?” Mouse asked the dog. She tickled one under the ear.
    “I need your help, Moss,” Mouse said. “Lie still.”
    Mouse lay down next to the dog, which continued to suckle its newborn, undisturbed.
    “What can you hear, Moss?” whispered Mouse. “What can you hear?”

35

    Imagine you’re standing at the top of a hill. It’s a very steep hill, and beside you is a large rock. A boulder, huge and round and heavy. Now, put the sole of your foot against the rock as it stands on the brink of the hill. Push, push hard, and the boulder starts to roll down the hill. It moves slowly at first, as if unsure of what it will do, but then it speeds up, until it hurtles headlong into the future. Nothing can stop it now.
    Well, this is what happened to us. Everything that was about to happen was unstoppable and would change our lives forever.
    I walked beside Sif. I was wary of her, but I did not want to be outdone by her. A step behind and between us walked Ragnald.
    “So, my lord and lady of Storn,” he said. “You have told me of your fathers and how Horn became ruler, but tell me this: Is there not one of you who is not one of you?”
    “Yes,” said Sif. “Mouse! You mean Mouse!”
    “The little one?” asked Ragnald, but it was not really a question. He knew whom she meant. “Your sister, Sigurd?”
    “She’s not really his sister,” said Sif.
    “Be quiet, Sif,” I said angrily, but something bothered me.
    “How do you know about Mouse?” I asked.
    “I have had little to do since I