Page 77 of Wolf Alliance

“I’m happy for you. When Erik stole you away, I was afraid that Dunbar was right in saying your da shouldna marry you off to him. But when Freigard arrived at the castle, I realized Dunbar had a darker purpose in mind.” Davina let out her breath. “I approve of Erik. Even his actions of coming to our aid immediately proves he’s a good leader of a pack, and you and he will be perfect to lead it.”

“He is. If anyone can right the wrongs against our people, he and Alasdair and their men will win this battle.” Accalia prayed it would be true.

When they came to the tunnel exit, Accalia hated to have to leave her clothes and weapons behind, but as two women on foot, they couldn’t safely travel that far. She began to remove her weapons and then her clothes. Her aunt removed her clothes, and they both turned into their wolves. They exited the tunnel and tore off into the night, the woods dark and deep.

Here, Accalia thought they would be arriving at the castle, welcomed with open arms and enjoying a feast and merriment. She couldn’t believe what had befallen them instead.

She and her aunt loped for a while, then walked several miles. Only when her aunt seemed to slow down did Accalia nudge her to lie down and they would sleep for a while.

She hoped that Erik and the others would be successful, they would all be safe, and only the villains would die by the sword.

Before Erikand the others began to search for Freigard’s men, Baldur shifted and said, “Many of their men are in the barracks, taking turns sleeping and pulling guard duty. But I must warn you that five of Dunbar’s friends are allies in his treachery and plan to have higher positions in the pack once I am eliminated. One of them went with the men headed for Whitehaven with a couple of Freigard’s men as well.”

Erik suddenly wondered if his mate would go after those men. He suspected that she might. Now he wished he’d sent a couple of men with her. Then again, she was protecting her aunt and probably wouldn’t want to risk her safety so maybe she wouldn’t.

“Most of my pack is in the great hall at night, while guards watch them.”

“What about Freigard?” Erik asked Baldur.

“All I know is he watches everyone, his men serving guard duty, my people, just everyone. No one I could speak secretly with knows where he sleeps. He must at some time or another.”

“Is there a chamber below?”

“Maids’ quarters, but the maids are all herded into the great hall with everyone else, I was told.”

“So he could be sleeping in there.”

“Aye.”

“What about the men who side with your brother?” Erik asked.

“They stay with everyone else in the great hall. I dinna believe Freigard entirely trusts them. As far as he’s concerned, they’re Dunbar’s men and loyal to him. They helped him to allow Freigard and his men entry into the castle grounds, but he still doesna trust them, knowing they only want power.”

“If we could take out Freigard first, that would be the best way to manage this. But instead, we may have to take out his guards where we can, hopefully without alerting anyone,” Erik said.

“Aye. We go to the kitchen first. I’ve heard that some congregate in there, filling their faces with ale and whatever they can find to eat. Mayhap we can take care of a few that way and reduce their numbers,” Baldur said.

Erik smiled. “Lead the way.” He admired Baldur. He had a good head on his shoulders, was a tactician at heart, decisive, and ready to face any danger head-on.

Baldur shifted into his wolf and then headed down some backstairs until they reached a hallway and heard some men talking and laughing in a room not far away. Erik could smell mead, ale, bread, and poultry.

They crept down the stairs after Baldur, his nephew wanting to go with him, but Erik held him back so they could protect him.

Erik made out the voices of four different men. Erik motioned to eight men to follow him while the others stayed in reserve.

They moved silently toward the kitchen and heard a couple of men talking down in the cellar where the ovens for baking bread were located, Erik assumed. He sent three of the men down the stairs.

He and the others rushed into the kitchen where the four men were stuffing their faces with chunks of boar and cheese and slurping up ale. All of them were armed and Baldur suddenly joined Erik and nodded, telling him they were Freigard’s men. The brigands didn’t even know what hit them.

Erik took on one of the men, cutting him down before he could react. The other men with Erik acted as quickly to eliminate the threats, stabbing them in the hearts, and the men slid to the floor where they took their last breaths.

Then the three men who had gone into the cellar came running back up, indicating they had killed the two men below the stairs. Erik directed the men to haul Freigard’s men from the kitchen into the cellar.

Baldur shifted. “There’s a secret tunnel in the cellar.” He shifted and ran down the stairs with the ones moving the bodies to show them the hidden entrance.

Hiding all the bodies was a good plan so no one would be the wiser. The castle was eighty feet tall and encompassed nearly ten acres. It would take a while for Freigard or his men to determine people were missing—until they learned Dunbar, Baldur, the guard, Accalia’s aunt, and her younger cousin were gone. Hopefully, no one would discover it until Erik and the other men with him took care of the majority of Freigard’s men.

Once Baldur and their other men joined them, they waited a few minutes, listening to learn where they might go next to take out a few more of Freigard’s men without alerting anyone else. They knew they only had a short time left before a guard came to relieve the other at Baldur’s chamber and discovered the guard and the clan chief were missing.

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