from Kallthom to Carigo, studying the layout of the land carefully.”
“So do you have a better plan?” asked Rathe.
“I have a plan that I believe gives us a better chance of getting Aleanna safely to Carigo. We will cross the mountains you call the Ice Mountains and travel behind the Delph plains.”
The king drew an audible gasped, then yelled, “You are insane! No one can cross those mountains!”
An advisor added loudly, “Even if you could, there are monsters on the other side!”
Confidently, Björn spoke again. “You are mistaken about crossing the mountains, because I crossed them, and here I am. You are correct about the monsters; they do exist in the mountains, plains and forests on the other side. In addition to the monsters, there are brigands and other dangers, but I found nothing that would stop us from reaching Carigo.”
Astonished silence met Björn’s statement, then the king and his advisors all began to shout at once. Rathe and Aleanna did not say a word. They studied Björn in silence.
Rathe finally asked, “How many soldiers do you plan to accompany you?”
Björn answered, knowing that his answer would not be well accepted, “Soldiers will not be necessary. The Princess and I will travel alone.”
“You are absolutely insane,” Brewster wailed. “There is no way I will allow you to take my daughter unescorted by our army.”
Again, silence reigned, and everyone looked at the Northlander.
Finally Rathe spoke. “Are you certain you can reach Carigo safely by crossing the mountains?”
The Northlander replied forcefully, “Nothing is ever certain. There are grave dangers involved in taking this route around the mountains and passing behind Delph, but I still believe it is far less dangerous than attempting to take the princess through a battle on the plains. I am more than willing to escort the princess to Carigo, but not through a pitched battle between your soldiers and the Delphs.”
Again the room resounded with shouted objections. Rathe finally quieted his father and his advisors by saying, “We know the Northlander’s reputation. He is renowned as the best. By demonstrating what he did outside in the courtyard, I am convinced that he is the man to direct this expedition. I am convinced that he should take the back route, over the mountains. I only insist on one change in the plan. I will accompany Björn and Aleanna. However, the final decision is yours to make, Father.”
Everyone looked toward Brewster. He looked anguished and in emotional turmoil, his eyes on his daughter as he attempted to absorb Rathe’s suggestion. Finally he said, “I left it to you to decide upon the marriage, but I cannot leave this decision to you, Aleanna.”
Aleanna replied calmly, “I have complete faith in the Northlander, Father. We should follow his advice.”
In a much softer tone, Brewster said, “We shall rest on this. It may look different in the morning.”
The meeting broke up, and Aleanna showed Björn to his room. It was large and most pleasant, with a blazing fire in a huge fireplace that warmed the room. Björn was not aware that Aleanna had prepared the room herself. For reasons not apparent even to her, she had wanted to make a good impression on him.
As she prepared to leave the room, setting a small lamp on the table beside the bed, she asked, “Will this be satisfactory?”
Björn gave an appreciative glance around the room. “This is real luxury for me. I usually sleep on the ground!” Then, with penetrating eyes, he said softly, “As a princess, you are not anything like I expected.”
Aleanna, blushing, answered, “How many daughters of kings have you known? How would you know what to expect of a princess?”
He brightened with an elusive smile and barely audible chuckle. “You are the first princess I have ever known, but from what I have heard about royal families, I expected a spoiled young girl, weak and frail.”
“So,” she teased, “do you naturally assume that I am just a spoiled princess who is weak and frail?”
“No,” Björn assured her. “You seem to be a mature and confident young woman, capable of taking care of yourself. I honestly expected you to be a burden. Your brother also impresses me as a formidable warrior, which is more than I expected of a prince.”
Feeling that propriety demanded that she make her exit, a blushing Aleanna bid him good night. While seldom concerned with propriety, she did not want Björn to think ill of her.
Later, at her dressing table, Aleanna brushed her hair, something she rarely asked her personal maid to do. She preferred attending to her personal needs because it allowed her rare private time to think. As she brushed slowly through her hair, she thought of the Northlander. What a unique man! She recalled blushing in his presence, and she couldn’t recall blushing since she was a very young girl. Why did she find him so fascinating? She really knew very little about him, yet she trusted him instinctively. Were the tales she heard about him true? One tale said he prevailed in battle against twenty soldiers. Why did she have this sense of security that she would be safe with him in any situation and any circumstance? Why did she feel his respect when they had first met?
Finally putting her brush aside, she slipped into bed, still thinking of this unusual man, the Northlander Björn. She decided she would have time to learn more about him in the days ahead. Turning on her side, she pulled the down-filled blanket around her and fell into a peaceful sleep.
In the morning, after Aleanna had bathed and dressed herself, again without the attendance of her personal maid, she walked to the stables and found Björn grooming his horse. She walked up casually and commented, “You are up early.”
“I need little sleep,” said Björn, “I came here to spend some time with Jago. He is not accustomed to confinement and is not very comfortable in a stable. I keep telling him it will not be long and we will be out in the open again.”
Aleanna asked, “His name is Jago?”
“Yes,” Björn answered, “I named him when we were very young—shortly after we first met.”
“What do you mean?” she asked. “How do you meet a horse?”
“I think we were looking for each other.” Smiling, he continued, “We were both much younger, in the Northland. We were both learning to survive pretty much on our own.”
She started to touch Jago, who stood quite still and tense. “You trained him well.”
“Do not try to touch him,” Björn cautioned, and she drew back. “He does not know you. And I did not train him. Rather I won his trust and confidence. He seems to just enjoy my company.”
Björn smoothed his hand over Jago’s back. “This horse probably is much different to me than your animals are to you. We are more like partners. He does what I ask only because he wants to, not because I could ever force him to perform. And, of course, I usually do what he wants.”
Aleanna leaned against a stall. “He must be very intelligent.
“I think Jago is much smarter than me,” Björn responded.
Aleanna continued to study Jago. “He seems small for a warrior’s horse, but very muscular. I imagine this horse can run all day long without tiring,” she said. She glanced at Björn. “We should go up and have some breakfast, then while my father and his advisors are arguing about the plan to get me to Carigo, let us come back and I will give you a tour of the castle lands. Would you like that?”
Enthusiastically, Björn replied, “I would like that very much.”
When they entered the castle for breakfast, they heard the king and his advisors continuing their loud discussion about the plan to escort the princess to Carigo. Aleanna placed her hand softly on Björn’s shoulder and said, “We must not allow them to ruin our morning.” She led him into a