Then he asked, “You say you do not see the outcome?”
She shook her head and confirmed, “I do not.”
“And how does Finnie or Sjofn come to this pass?”
“I do not see that either, Drakkar.”
“And is she alone or surrounded by men, guards, soldiers?”
She shook her head again and repeated, “I do not see that either.”
Frustration crawled up his throat and he growled, “This vision is not very helpful.”
Her back shot straight. “I’m not a fortune teller as they don’t exist,” she snapped. “I am a seer. I do not control the visions, they come to me. This is what I saw, it was grave and because of that I have travelled far to inform you but this was all I saw.”
At that moment, a loud, feminine cry of delight pierced through the room and Frey turned to the windows.
Finnie was jumping up and down, her arms around Annar’s neck with one hand still holding her bow. Her movements were so excited the arrows in the quiver strapped across her back were cascading to the green grass at her feet. Annar was standing feet planted firm to the ground, his hands at her waist but her exuberance was jolting his body. He was in profile but Frey could see his man’s wide smile.
Finnie detached swiftly from Annar, whirled to face an excited Skylar, threw both her arms up in the air, still holding her bow and shrieked her delight again before she bent and caught Skylar up in a tight embrace, shaking him side to side as Frey heard her laugh.
Skylar’s boyish laughter mingled with hers.
Frey’s eyes moved to Finnie’s target and he saw the arrows had been cleared. Now there were only two.
One in the circle outside the bulls-eye.
One embedded directly in the middle of it.
He felt his lips curve into a smile.
She’d done it.
Fire and blood.
Frey’s smile died.
Then he turned to the witch.
“Have you eaten?”
She blinked then asked, “What?”
His eyes moved over her dusty, travel worn gown. “You’ve travelled far, have you eaten?”
She shook her head and said, “I have made haste, starting on my journey the minute I learned from Finnie’s Jocelyn that you were at the chateau. I have ridden hard, consumed little and slept even less due to my haste and that dream. So no, Drakkar, it has been since yesterday I have eaten.”
He nodded. Then he stated, “I will order a meal for you. You have three hours to eat it, wash and rest. Then you are away with one of my men. You will ride fast to Bellebryn and board the first vessel bound for Lunwyn. You live in Fyngaard?”
“Just outside it, yes.”
Frey nodded again. “You will go home, my man will accompany you and you will prepare to be away for some time. Finnie and I leave on the morrow, headed back to Lunwyn ourselves. We will first go to the Rimée Keep so she can see her parents. My man will take you there. We will stay there a week, perhaps two, then we will be moving on to my lodge in Kellshorn. You will follow us.”
Her brows drew together, “But, I don’t under –”
Frey impatiently anticipated her question and therefore answered it before it was fully asked, “So that I will know immediately, I want you close at all times should you receive more communications from the other world, have any dreams that shed further light on the situation you fear will befall my Finnie or any dreams you have about Finnie at all. And I want you to use your powers to protect my wife.” He paused and added, “For these endeavors, you will be paid.”
“There is no protection against dragon fire, Drakkar, you know that,” Agnes stated quietly.