Excerpt from Dolor and Shadow

 

With a bold grin, Rune hoisted the armload of brush onto his shoulder and swaggered back to Astrid, taking care to slam his shoulder hard into Kallan’s as he past. With a shuffled thud, he dumped the brush onto the saddle and his hands went to work, tying off an end then twisting the long blades of grass with great agility.

“How do you plan to do that?” He delayed the response so long, that Kallan had quite forgotten all about her declaration.

“I’m taking Astrid with me,” she said once she remembered the conversation, and hoisted her head higher.

“Astrid…” Rune chuckled, glancing with bewilderment at the underside of Astrid’s belly.

“Yes,” Kallan said.

Rune flashed a belittling glance to her.

“He’s a stallion,” he said, with an attempt to educate the girl.

Kallan scowled.  “Yes,” she said, “and his name is Astrid.”

Rune rolled his eyes.  “Back at the stables, you said I could take any one of the horses,” he said, “Well. I want…” Rune threw the horse an empathetic look. “…Astrid.”

Kallan sneered.  “You can’t have my horse,” she said.

Rune shrugged.  “You failed to specify.”

Kallan gave a derisive snort and stared at the single, thick fiber that had started to replace the grasses he braided.

“What are you doing?” she asked, suddenly more curious than angry.
“Making a rope.”

Kallan grimaced as if she had eaten a bitter cloudberry.

“Why?”

With a darkened eye, Rune glanced up from his hands. After Kallan unnaturally stiffened her back, Rune returned his attention to his work.

“It’ll look suspicious if you’re not bound,” he said.

Kallan threw him a putrid stare he didn’t see.

“Well, maybe it will look suspicious if you’re not bound!” Kallan said.

Rune flashed a look that dared her to try.

“It’s just until we get to Gunir.” Rune began tying off the ends.

“I’m not going!”

Keeping his eyes on hers, Rune took up the rope and gave the last few strands a solid tug.

“I won’t make this easy for you,” Kallan threatened.

The corner of Rune’s mouth lifted into an impish smirk.

“Good!” His eyes deepened with interest at the challenge. “I hate being bored.”
“I’ll run!” She stomped the ground with a tiny, bare foot.

Rune snorted, breaking his glare long enough to roll his eyes in amusement. “You won’t run.  If you were going to run, you already would ha— Shit!”