Utgar\u2019s eyes adjusted to the darkness. She was there, a small form huddled in a nest of blankets and furs. Runa hadn\u2019t awoken. That was good. Utgar let the cloth divider fall back into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Yiven had appeared earlier that night, Utgar had feared that his voice would wake Runa. But it hadn\u2019t. Utgar had told Yiven to leave; the matter would be taken care of. Yiven had tried to protest, but upon further reflection, had seemed to decide leaving might be in his best interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Utgar returned to the front of the pavilion, where he sat down on one of the chairs the farmers had provided. Runa,<\/em> he thought, staring at the ground. You deserve better. So much better. <\/em>He had tried to give that to her. He had been trying ever since she had been born. Why did it have to be so hard?<\/p>\n\n\n\n She didn\u2019t like staying here, hidden away in this tent. Utgar knew that. But what could he do? Let her wander Helsng? The city was on the brink of revolt. If it weren\u2019t for the insurance of the Wellspring in the keep, he would never have even come here in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Had he made the wrong decision? Should he have simply trusted the Empire from the start? He shook his head at the idea. They had imprisoned them all in the Volcarren. They had fought hard to keep them there. No, the only reason the Empire was cooperating at all was because Utgar could wipe them off the face of the world if he wanted to. Utgar needed to be near that Wellspring. Just in case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy Lord Utgar?\u201d Dered\u2019s head appeared at the tent entrance. \u201cKran is here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Utgar nodded, and Dered pulled the tent flap open, letting Kran enter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Utgar had seen the Volcarren only a few times, and then only in passing. He had forgotten just how large he was. He was a good half a head taller than Utgar, and Utgar himself was taller than most. Utgar stood, attempting to shorten the height difference as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKran,\u201d Utgar said. \u201cI trust you can guess why you are here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have an idea, Valkyrie,\u201d Kran said evenly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou challenged the Empire. You interfered in their business. Yiven himself came to me not long ago, demanding that I punish you in some way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kran was silent. He stood stiffly, staring at a point somewhere above Utgar\u2019s head, his massive arms at his sides. Utgar noted that he carried a bone-axe, tied to his waist with a simple rope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have no intention of punishing you,\u201d Utgar said. \u201cYiven has no place demanding such things, and I told him exactly that. The Volcarrens are my responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen why am I here?\u201d Kran said, still staring above Utgar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause I want to talk to you,\u201d Utgar said. \u201cSit down,\u201d he added, gesturing at another chair nearby. \u201cWe aren\u2019t an army, and you aren\u2019t a soldier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kran glanced at the chair, and then sat. Utgar sat as well, noting as did so that the chair looked too small for Kran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019ve put me in a difficult position,\u201d Utgar said. \u201cYou realize that, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI do,\u201d Kran said, his voice measured. \u201cBut the position the Empire put Leran and Nya in was more difficult. Respectfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPerhaps,\u201d Utgar said. \u201cBut it still wasn\u2019t your place to interfere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWasn\u2019t it?\u201d Kran said, finally meeting Utgar\u2019s eyes. \u201cValkyrie, we won our freedom because we were willing to stand up to the Empire. I won\u2019t now let that same Empire hurt these people, not when we can do something about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Utgar frowned. \u201cI too sympathize with these people,\u201d he said, \u201cand I would help them if I could. But we have to consider the future. If we are to have peace, we have to stay out of this conflict. I don\u2019t like that \u2013 I doubt any of us do \u2013 but we can\u2019t risk a war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Kran said bluntly. He watched Utgar for a moment. \u201cYou are a Valkyrie,\u201d he said. \u201cYou would win any war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Utgar had expected that argument. \u201cI don\u2019t fear winning or losing,\u201d he said. \u201cI fear the war itself. We need a future, Kran, not endless conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA future?\u201d Kran repeated. \u201cValkyrie, what kind of future do you think we can have? Do you know what the Volcarrens want? What they expect to happen? I want peace as well, but I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll have it. Not this way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Utgar frowned. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d he said. \u201cWhat is it that the Volcarrens want?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kran shrugged. \u201cIt differs,\u201d he said. \u201cSome want war. They hate the Empire and are ready for a fight. They\u2019ll take any excuse \u2013 including the oppression of the Empire \u2013 to start one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome few want peace. They\u2019re tired of conflict, and are ready to make lives for themselves, here or in Haukeland. But they fear the Empire. They think that as long as the Empire remains, it will be a threat to them. Many of them also sympathize with the people here, and don\u2019t wish to leave them to the Empire. They see war as necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd you?\u201d Utgar said. \u201cYou don\u2019t strike me as a warmonger or one interested only in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d Kran agreed. \u201cI feel that most Volcarrens are like me \u2013 in the middle. We have no particular desire for war, but we also feel that we owe these people. They\u2019ve given us food and shelter, and now it\u2019s our turn to help them.\u201d He leaned forwards. \u201cThis oppression of the Empire is wrong,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has to end. I don\u2019t want war, but neither am I afraid of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Utgar was silent for a time. Hearing it from Kran, he realized: he should have paid more attention to those who followed him. He should have taken the time to understand what they wanted, and how they might react to the Empire. By bringing them here, he had put them in direct contact with those many of them considered mortal enemies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Had he been a fool? Perhaps. But he still needed to be near the Wellspring. That hadn\u2019t changed. What was done was done \u2013 he doubted the Volcarrens would leave now even if he asked them to. From what he had seen, many of them \u2013 like Kran \u2013 were too invested in the fates of the farmers here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No, the only thing he could do now was wait. Wait and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI appreciate your words,\u201d he said to Kran. \u201cBut we can\u2019t have war. Our best hope is Haukeland. We must continue to wait for the scouts to return, and then leave.\u201d Haukeland might have been a ploy of the Empire\u2019s, but it was still their best chance for a deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd if their report is unfavorable?\u201d Kran asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Utgar admitted. \u201cFor right now, we must avoid getting involved. The Empire has every right to demand that we stay out of things; more involvement will only make this unrest worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He glanced at Kran. \u201cYou seem to know the Volcarrens better than I do,\u201d he said after a moment. \u201cHow would you ensure peace?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kran looked at him for a moment, his expression hard to read. \u201cI\u2019m not sure that we can,\u201d he finally said. \u201cTruthfully, I\u2019m not even sure that we should.\u201d He paused. \u201cMany will want to stay and help these people,\u201d he said. \u201cEven if the scouts do return from Haukeland with favorable reports. I count myself among them. It\u2019s the right thing to do, Valkyrie,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a moment, they watched each other. Utgar considered Kran\u2019s words. For a brief, terrible minute, he considered them. He was a Valkyrie. He could demand anything he wanted of the Empire. He could help all these people. And what then? He wasn\u2019t invincible. The Empire could slip a knife between his ribs while he slept, or harm Runa. He couldn\u2019t take that risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d he said standing. \u201cI can\u2019t risk war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kran stood as well, watching him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Utgar said. \u201cI really am. I want to help these people, but we need peace. All of us. Go back to the Volcarrens, and tell them that no action is to be taken against the Empire which might lead to war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kran was silent for a moment. \u201cWhat of Leran?\u201d he said. \u201cIf the Empire executes him, there may be nothing even you can do to prevent a war. You could demand that he be released. Prevent a war, if you aren\u2019t willing to start one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Utgar shook his head. \u201cIf I did that, I would be siding against the Empire. I can\u2019t interfere, Kran. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kran nodded slowly. \u201cI will take your words back to the other Volcarrens,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I feel that this war is coming whether we interfere or not. When it does\u2026 You may need<\/em> to interfere, Utgar. You may not have a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then he turned, and left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Utgar sat back down. What Kran had said was true. The execution of Leran could easily cause a riot, and a riot could start a full-scale rebellion. And yet if Utgar interfered as he knew he could \u2013 the Empire would have no choice but to follow the demands of a Valkyrie \u2013 might he not start the same thing? The Volcarrens would be emboldened, the Empire would fear what he might do next\u2026 No, he had to stay uninvolved. It was the only way. But still\u2026 was it the right choice?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Utgar\u2019s eyes adjusted to the darkness. She was there, a small form huddled in a nest of blankets and furs. Runa hadn\u2019t awoken. That was good. Utgar let the cloth divider fall back into place. When Yiven had appeared earlier that night, Utgar had feared that his voice would wake Runa. But it hadn\u2019t. Utgar … Continue reading Chapter Eleven<\/span>