“Enough!” Grim’s voice was deep and rough like the growl of a bear; folk fell silent. “What are you, some rabble starved of cheap entertainment? Take this man inside; get him cleaned up before Somerled sees him. A fellow’s got the right to be heard before you set him up as a figure of fun, hasn’t he? Now get out of here; I feel the itch in my fingers for a little hammer play, and right now I’m not particular who’s in my way.”

The enclosure cleared as if by magic, leaving Eyvind and his captors. Grim looked on with a heavy frown. He wasn’t talking now. He stared at Eyvind, and Eyvind glanced back at him, and thought he saw the smallest of nods from the bearded warrior before Grim turned on his heel and tramped off indoors. Then Gudbrand was tugging on the ropes that bound his prisoner, and he was hauled away.

Inside, he was conveyed none too gently to the quarters where he had once slept with his fellow Wolfskins, but nobody seemed to be prepared to unfasten the tight bonds that tied his hands behind his back, nor to tend to the cuts and bruises on his face, nor to offer a clean tunic or a bowl of fresh water. He waited, standing very still in the center of the room while his captors conferred in low voices. A hearing, he thought, that would be the next thing. They’d lock him up for a while, and then he’d have to walk out in front of everyone and say what he had to say with neither evidence nor witnesses. This wasn’t how it was meant to be; he’d just have to do his best. At least he was buying time for Nessa. He wondered where she was now. He wished she would slip onboard a fishing boat and go off to the outer islands, where Somerled’s hand had not yet tightened its grip on her people. This new king would be busy enough establishing his realm of Hrossey without turning his attention to the far-flung remnants of the Folk on Sandy Island or West Island or the smaller, remoter places. But Nessa wouldn’t go; he knew her. She was a leader. She would not rest until she had completed the task she had spoken of. He hoped it would not bring her here to the settlement. He did not want her to be here, so close to Somerled.

“Right,” said a voice from the entry. “The king wants to see him straightaway. In his own quarters. Alone.”

“Alone?” Gudbrand scowled. “That’s hardly wise. A guard or two inside the chamber, surely?”

“Alone, and now,” said Thorvald, who had brought the message. “That’s what he said.”