Contents
Chapter Nineteen: Orka
Overview
Orka returns to her burned steading, grieving over Thorkel’s corpse and discovering Vesli nursing the wounded Spert. From Vesli she learns the raiders included oathless tennúr, skraeling, and a red-eyed Tainted with clawed weapons who fought Thorkel. Orka frees Vesli and Spert, arms herself from a buried chest, buries Thorkel, and swears vengeance.
Summary
Orka enters her ruined steading, mourning over Thorkel’s body before finding Vesli tending the gravely wounded Spert by the stream. A dead raider lies nearby, killed by Spert’s sting. Vesli cleans and seals Orka’s wounds with tennúr resin, easing her pain.
Questioning Vesli, Orka learns the attack came over the wall: oathless tennúr, skraeling, and a human-but-not— a red-eyed Tainted warrior with two long claws who fought Thorkel. Amid fire and smoke, tennúr tried to seize Breca. Vesli was struck down; Spert was speared. Orka spares them hard truths about Breca but absorbs the details of the assailants.
Resolving to act, Orka releases Vesli and Spert from their oaths and orders Vesli to hide Spert from villagers who would kill them. She digs up a buried chest, reclaiming seax, arm-rings, coin, and a gleaming byrnja. She gathers provisions, then builds Thorkel a barrow, placing his axe, seax, and rings with him.
Orka takes the two seaxes that killed Thorkel, cuts her forearm in a blood vow—“I am blood. I am death, I am vengeance”—and seals the barrow. Refusing Vesli’s offer to accompany her, she sets Vesli to guard Spert and strides out, determined to find the red-eyed killer and “return” his blades to him.
Who Appears
- OrkaGrieving widow; wounded but resolute. Learns of the attackers, recovers hidden arms, buries Thorkel, frees her vaesen, and vows vengeance.
- VesliTennúr ally; wounded yet tending Spert and healing Orka. Reports on raiders; offers aid but is tasked to protect Spert.
- SpertGuardian vaesen; gravely wounded by a spear, yet killed a raider with his sting. Nursed by Vesli.
- ThorkelOrka’s husband; slain defending the hall. Buried with honors, his death steels Orka’s resolve.
- Red-eyed Tainted warriorRaider with glowing eyes and clawed weapons; fought Thorkel. Target of Orka’s vengeance.
- Oathless tennúrTennúr who aided the raiders and tried to seize Breca during the assault.
- Skraeling raidersNonhuman attackers who breached the steading alongside men and tennúr.
- Dead woodsman raiderIntruder in leather and wool, killed by Spert’s sting; evidence of the defense.