“The answer will come,” Inger said wisely. “You must be patient and observant but I am sure if you are, you will know.”
Erik sighed. “You are probably right,” he said. “I just wish it weren’t so complicated.”
“From Dubh Linn, you say?” Erik fingered the fine cloth with its elaborate needlework. It reminded him of the work that Tara did. Perhaps that was not surprising since she was from near Dubh Linn herself.
The trader nodded. “There is plenty more where that came from,” he said. “The women of Dubh Linn are talented needleworkers.”
“What is Dubh Linn like?” asked Erik.
The trader paused. “It is a land of great opportunities,” he said at last. “Dubh Linn is a thriving city of trade. Many merchants are there and many have gained great wealth because of the opportunities to trade with sailors and merchants from other parts of the world.”
Erik looked interested. “Why are you not there yourself?” he asked.
The trader shrugged. “I prefer to travel the seas and visit foreign lands than build up a land-based business,” he said. “It is the life I enjoy. But there is room for both.”
Erik thought about what had happened over the past few months. He had spent the winter at home with Tara, making repairs to the wagon, organizing his stock, and creating small household items to sell. But now, on his first journey in the spring, he’d found that two other traders were taking his route and he’d sold far less than he’d expected. It had been an unsettling setback. Was this the way of the future? Would he always be competing with other merchants and never able to make a good living the way he had in the past? He’d thought that it would be a secure occupation that he would be able to do for a long time but this turn of events made him feel uneasy. Perhaps he could deal directly with the farmers and artisans and sell their goods to other traders. Maybe that would be a better way to earn a living.
But along with thoughts of his future came the nagging concerns over his marriage to Tara. She’d kissed him passionately when he’d departed for this journey, his first trading journey since their marriage. But there had still been no hint of her true feelings for him. He felt locked out of her inner world, unable to reach her with his love.
As he thought about it, a question began to arise in his mind. What if he could give Tara the ultimate chance to choose? What if he were to …? The thoughts wouldn’t go away. By the end of his journey, he knew what he had to do.
“Look who’s home!” Eira exclaimed to the baby on her hip. She ran to the door as Halvar entered.
“My family!” Halvar exclaimed, sweeping Eira and the baby into a bear hug and twirling them around. “It has been such a long journey and I have missed you both!” He took the baby from Eira, holding him close. “My son, you have grown since I left,” he murmured, caressing the downy head.
The baby gurgled and smiled a chubby, toothless grin.
“Has he been well?” Halvar asked anxiously.
Eira giggled. “He has been well enough to wake me up each night for a feed,” she said. “He has an appetite like a horse!”
“That’s my boy,” Halvar said proudly. “He will grow into a big, strong man.”
“But tell me of your journey,” Eira said eagerly. “What happened?”
“The men that Jerrik sent here took me straight to the Thing on his lands. There were a lot of people there.”
“And what of Taft?”
“When Jerrik’s men found him, he was unable to walk. So they put him in a cart for the journey and carried him to the Thing.”
“Did you see him?”
“I did. He is very weak and frail.”
“What did the Thing decide?”
“The discussion went back and forth over a couple of days. But in the end, he was declared guilty of the destruction of our village and the murder of our people. He was outlawed for three years, which means we were allowed to take justice into our own hands.”
“And was he killed?”
Halvar shook his head. “I went to see him during the proceedings. Remember that Kaarina wanted me to deliver a message to him if I saw him?”
Eira nodded. “She was most adamant that you tell Taft that she has forgiven him. It was important to her.”
“I did not wish to, but out of respect for Kaarina, I found him. And it changed the way I see him. When I gave him the message, tears came to his eyes. He is a broken shell of a man; he can only speak slowly because of the injury to his head. But he gave me a message for Kaarina.”
“What was that?”
“He told her he is sorry. And he told me that he is sorry for what he did to our people.”
Eira heaved a huge sigh. “Did you accept his apology?” she asked.
“Not at the time. I was still angry with him for the destruction he caused. But I believe he meant it.”
“So what happened next?”
“After the Thing pronounced him guilty, I thought about taking revenge. But in the end, I could not. The life he is now living is punishment enough. Besides, I believe it would hurt Kaarina and I also have no desire to harm a man who is a cripple and is unable to defend himself.”
“Does Taft know that you decided not to take revenge?”
“I finally found him just before the Thing ended. I told him that I would not be seeking revenge and that
