All Fury saw were clouds of foam. Then he made out a cleft in the rocks. A narrow channel ran towards a pebbly beach. He thrust his paddle into the boiling waters and struck out towards it.
A huge wave carried them along. The seals looked down with bored expressions as Fury struggled to control the clumsy craft. Strands of kelp entangled his paddle. The waves surged back and forth. One moment, he was heading for shore. The next, he was being swept back out to sea.
'Young brother.'
He heard Miralda's voice. She was struggling to free herself from the bag that contained Balduur's head. Ice encrusted the thongs. She forced them aside.
'My limbs are too frail for the coming ordeal.'
She thrust the bag at him.
'Take my father's head and cast it into the Mouth of Morpeth.'
Fury grabbed the bag and tied it about his waist.
'Sister, where can I find this place?'
Miralda struggled to reply but, before she could speak, a wave picked up the coracles and bore them towards the shore. Freezing waters crashed in. Fury was dragged under. Kelp entangled his legs. He surfaced and saw a line of seals peering at him from a rocky ledge.
Alison was a short distance away. He saw the yellow band that secured her hair and tried to reach her but the kelp held him back. He hacked at it with his hunting knife and saw her picked up by a wave and carried along. It raced her down the channel and the seals honked. Fury tried to ignore them as they splashed into the water. His eyes were on Alison. When the wave reached shore it would fold over and dump her on the rocks.
He cut the last piece of kelp free and swam after her, rising up in the water to see where she was. All he saw was seals. The water was alive with them. Their furry bodies milled around, snouts pointing upwards, honking furiously. Fury glimpsed a flash of yellow and saw them swimming back up the channel with Alison. The next wave swept him towards her. Their arms met, his feet touched bottom and he carried her to shore.
***
Alison awoke from a deep sleep. Fury was beside her. He'd searched for Miralda but there was no sign of her. Alison guessed the old woman had drowned. She had said that her days were numbered and her soul light would soon return to the void.
A full moon shone into the cave where they were sheltering. Alison felt warm and comfortable, as if protected by a benign presence. It was something she'd experienced before. On those other occasions the presence had been fierce and warlike. Now it was motherly and caring. She felt the baby move and her eyes drifted to the cave entrance. Someone or something was standing there.