‘I haven’t.’
‘Good.’ Danr drew his own sword from its scabbard, holding it in front of his face despite the spasm of pain that immediately shot up his arm. ‘Because she has nothing to do with any of this.’
‘You involved her when you sent her here with those pendants.’
‘I didn’t send her.’ He clenched his jaw at the accusation. ‘I didn’t know she was coming.’
‘Then why did she?’
‘To help me.’ Danr tipped his sword sideways, laying it across both of his hands before tossing it into the dirt at Joarr’s feet. ‘Now let her go and you can take me as your prisoner instead.’
‘What is this?’ Joarr glanced down at the sword and then back up again. ‘Some kind of trick?’
‘No trick.’
‘You’d exchange places with her? What if I intend to kill you? Are you really prepared to die for a woman?’
‘Yes.’ He didn’t hesitate. ‘She’s innocent in all of this. Just like Ingrid and Gilla were. Enough innocent blood has been spilled. So let her go and kill me if you have to.’
Joarr lowered his blade halfway to the ground. ‘I don’t want to kill you, Danr, but Hilda’s innocent, too. If you can’t accept that, then we need to end this once and for all. Either you leave Skíð or we fight, to the death this time.’
‘I’m not going anywhere until I find out the truth about those pendants. They belonged to Hilda and they were used to pay the assassins.’ Danr lifted an eyebrow. ‘Doesn’t that seem suspicious to you?’
‘I don’t care what it seems. I know what I know.’
‘I only want to talk to her.’
‘Do you really expect me to trust you?’ Joarr took a threatening step forward. ‘The last time I saw you, you had a sword to her throat!’
‘That was a mistake. I thought I could provoke her into admitting her guilt, that’s all.’
Joarr’s brow creased before he kicked the sword back through the dirt towards him. ‘You were always a wily one, boy, but I won’t let you within ten feet of her. I’ll let your woman go, but only on condition that we fight.’
‘If that’s what you want.’ Danr reached down, taking hold of his sword again. ‘But I don’t want to kill you either, Joarr. How many times have we fought side by side? You were like a father to me once.’ He felt the old rush of resentment. ‘Before her.’
‘I know.’ For a moment Joarr’s voice betrayed a hint of sadness. ‘But that was a long time ago now.’
They stared at each other for a few seconds, both of them sombre, before Joarr lunged, thrusting his sword out like a spear. Danr twisted away quickly, lifting Bitterblade to parry the blow and twist it sideways, then using both of his
hands on his sword to push Joarr and his weapon backwards. With his weakened arm, he wouldn’t be able to fight for long. He still didn’t want to kill Joarr, but if he could just incapacitate him...
‘Stop!’
They both froze, their weapons suspended in mid-air as Hilda’s voice rang through the village. Except it wasn’t just Hilda’s voice, Danr realised. It was Sissa’s, too.
He exchanged a swift look with Joarr and then turned his head to see the women standing side by side outside the hall.
‘Don’t interfere.’ Joarr’s voice was a growl. ‘This is between me and him.’
‘No, it’s not.’ Hilda’s voice was as imperious as Danr remembered it. ‘It’s between all of us and there won’t be any more fighting between the two of you, not today, not ever.’
‘Sissa? Are you all right?’ Danr started forward, but Joarr’s raised sword held him back.
‘Yes, but you need to put your sword down, too, Danr. There’s no need for fighting.’
‘You can speak?’ Knut looked stunned.
‘She can and she’s very persuasive, too.’ To Danr’s amazement, Hilda reached for Sissa’s hand, clasping it in hers before glaring at him and Joarr. ‘And if the two of you want either of us to as much as acknowledge your existences ever again, you can stop being so foolish and male and come inside. We have a lot to talk about.’