The Reluctant Viking Read online

  At first she'd been unable to fathom the abrupt change in Thork's mood from his laughing exit the night before, but then had rationalized it as reaction to the chaos that had overtaken Olaf's barnyard.

  Olaf had roared out an order to his seven daughters, including Tyra, who'd been running off to chase a wayward duck. "If any of you moves a hair's width from the spot on which you now stand or speaks one more word, that person will be left behind with Ulf. Heed me well, for I have had enough of screeching, giggling, wandering, waspish children for one day, and it not yet begun." He'd sworn at Selik then when he'd defied him by making cross-eyes at Tyra.

  Ruby had almost doubled over with laughter as they'd ridden only a short distance to the edge of Jorvik and Tyra had asked her mother, "Are we almost there?" and soon after had whined, "I have to use the garderobe."

  But Ruby's laughter died now as Thork rode by her and gave no greeting. Encased in leggings, his muscular thighs guided his large horse expertly. He held his head high, with supreme self-confidence, but a tense muscle jumped in his stubbornly jutting jaw as he deliberately snubbed her.

  Ruby wouldn't have been surprised at his coldness after his tirade in Olaf's hall yesterday if he hadn't come to her room later and laughed about the scene at Sigtrygg's palace. His hot, then cold, changes of emotion were driving her crazy.

  Putting aside her hurt feelings, Ruby turned to Gyda. "I'm sorry for all the misery I've brought you, especially the way Olaf spoke to you."

  Gyda clucked her tongue at Ruby's words. "I want naught of your apologies, girl. Leastways, I have not laughed so much in years, nor has Olaf or Thork, though ne'er would they admit it. Did Olaf and I mishear Thork in your room yestereve?"

  Ruby told her about Thork's account of the events at Sigtrygg's court. When she ended, Gyda giggled with delight, then embellished the story with more from Olaf's version of the court activities. "The funniest part was when they first arrived at the court, and Sigtrygg raged at them all, shoving this gray wrinkled thing into Thork's hand, asking if he knew what the thing was."

  "Oh, no!"

  Gyda laughed out loud now. "You will never guess what happened next. The thing Sigtrygg handed him—'twas Freydis's condom, the one with red and gold embroidery, and, Ruby... ," Gyda sputtered, having to stop to control her giggles, "oh, 'twas so funny. You see, Freydis had added tassels to the end."

  "No-o-o-o!" Ruby exclaimed.

  Ruby rode back to help with the children. She couldn't help but notice the dozen armed men flanking their traveling party at the sides and rear, with Thork, Dar and Olaf at the front. She tied her horse to the back of the cart and crawled into the straw with the children. For the next few hours, until they stopped to eat at midday and water the horses, Ruby had amused them with stories and catchy songs. The only children's songs she could think of were Christmas carols, so the children's voices on this sunny, late summer day rang out incongruously with "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly."

  Thork glanced her way several times as she, Gyda and the children sat on a large boulder eating their cold fare. Did he feel the bond between them? Even if he didn't believe her stories of the future, of a life they shared together, surely he didn't deny this instant chemistry that ignited every time they touched. But Thork's blank face betrayed nothing of his feelings, and Ruby felt sadly forsaken—again.

  They expected to be at Dar's manor before nightfall, but the long, tiring journey had turned the travelers weary and listless by midafternoon. The fortunate Tyra slept soundly in one corner of the cart after hearing Ruby repeat the nursery rhyme about the old woman who lived in a shoe six times.

  Everyone jolted out of their complacent lethargy with surprise when a group of six horsemen thundered out of the woods and headed off Dar, who rode with Selik near the end of the human train. The horsemen had to have been trailing them for a long time to have caught Dar at just that vulnerable moment when he'd left his grandson's side at the head of the caravan.

  "Move the women and children off the road," Thork shouted anxiously to the tune of some vicious swear words directed at the hesirs who'd failed to see the enemy approaching. "Selik, stay here with Eirik and Tykir and guard the women."

  Grim-faced, Thork and Olaf galloped off with six of the men. For more than two hours, which seemed like days, Ruby wept and prayed and worried over Dar's fate, as well as the safety of Thork and his men.

  When the somber-countenanced party rode back into the hastily made camp, Ruby quickly counted. They'd all returned, including Dar—thank God!—who appeared unharmed, except for a grimy face, torn tunic and baggy hose.

  In addition, two bloodied strangers rode in their midst, arms tied behind their backs, wearing pants and nothing more. Deep whip welts covered their bare backs and chests. A sword wound in one man's shoulder bled profusely, and an enormous bruise swelled on the other man's forehead. They had obviously been beaten after their capture to obtain information.

  When their horses came to a halt and they dismounted, Thork addressed Selik. "Two dead, two escaped."

  "Any information?"

  "Not yet. They will talk afore morning, though, that I promise." Thork's steel-blue eyes blazed with a cold-blooded fury that frightened Ruby. These enemies of Thork's would get no compassion.

  "Will they die?" Ruby asked Gyda fearfully.

  "That they will and not too soon, I wager. Mayhap they will torture them with the blood-eagle."

  Oddly, Ruby saw no womanly distaste on Gyda's face for this barbaric behavior. True, the men had done a horrendous thing by kidnapping Dar and might have harmed him, but the threat of death did not fit the crime.

  "What is a blood-eagle?"

  "Have you heard naught of it?" a surprised Gyda asked. "Well, is not practiced so much anymore. 'Tis what the three great Danish brothers, Halfdan of the Wide Embrace, Ubbi and Ivar the Boneless, did to King Aella some fifty years back to avenge their father Ragnar's death. 'Twas Aella who threw Ragnar into a snake pit and watched gleefully while the vipers stung him to death.

  " 'Tis said Aella bragged thus, 'The piglings would be grunting if they knew the plight of the boar.' Well, Ragnar's sons proved Aella right, because the piglings did truly avenge their father boat's death with the blood-eagle on him."

  "What exactly is a blood-eagle?" Ruby choked out.

  " 'Tis the slowest and most tortuous death of all. The Vikings tie the enemy to a tree and split his backbone so the ribs spring apart like wings, exposing the heart. The breathing air bags are pulled out to lay across his back, also like eagle wings," Gyda explained in gruesome detail. " 'Tis considered a noble sacrifice to Odin."

  "And you think Thork would do that?" Ruby asked, gagging at the image.

  Gyda's forehead' creased in confusion over Ruby's question. "Why would you doubt it? He is a Jomsviking, but any man would do as much or more to protect his family."

  Ruby tried not to dwell on the grotesque images called up by Gyda. She noticed that Thork ignored her still. In fact, Dar's near-fatal experience seemed to have reinforced some determination in Thork, which Ruby didn't understand but sensed had implications for her.

  Because of the delays, dusk already shadowed the land when they rode onto Dar's huge estate which lay in the midst of the fields and fells famous for its Yorkshire wool. Shepherds with crooks in hand and yapping border collies at their feet worked efficiently to herd bands of sheep into a distant pasture. It was still light enough to see bonders and freedmen who seemed well fed and happy as they came in from carefully tended fields, waving to their jarl.

  Gyda had explained to Ruby earlier the Viking class system: high-kings; petty kings or noblemen; rural aristocracy of jarls or earls; lesser nobles called hesirs; bonders or farmers; freedmen or cottagers; and finally, at the bottom, thralls. At first, Ruby had trouble sorting it all out until she learned to connect names with titles. King Harald, was, of course, high-king; Dar and Thork were jarls, even though Thork disdained the title; Olaf and Selik were hesir
s.

  The houses in the village they passed through were of the Viking style—long, rectangular buildings of neatly interwoven wattle and daub from forty to one hundred feet long, topped with thatch roofs. The dwellings lay in an orderly street pattern near a small river. Barns and other outbuildings stood outside the village perimeter.

  Leaving the village, they approached the manor on a flat-topped hill Gyda referred to as a motte and entered the gates of a high, stockade-style, wood fence where many Viking hesirs stood guard, watching diligently over the countryside. It resembled a palisaded western fort, rather than the castle-and-moat-style, stone castle Ruby had envisioned.

  Inside the bailey or courtyard were scattered stables, fowlhouses, kennels, smithy, armorer's shed, bakehouse, a separate kitchen, storerooms, open hearths and other assorted buildings, while the two-story manor house held stately prominence, resembling a small castle. The newer sections of the manor were stone, attached stylelessly to the older wood parts.

  A number of well-dressed men and women stood on the steps of the keep awaiting the arrival of the weary group. The gray-haired Aud stepped forward first to greet her husband, Dar, with a warm clasp of the shoulders and a quick hug. Then she turned to Thork and embraced him as well.

  Dar dispatched the two prisoners to one of the small, separate buildings made of solid stone. Aud looked at them and back to Dar questioningly but held her queries for later.

  "Well met, Thork!" A young, dark-haired woman sprang forward and leaped into Thork's arms, greeting him with a sound kiss on the lips, before pulling back and smiling invitingly up at him. With dimples indenting her wide smile, she cocked her head and said loud enough for those closest to hear, "Have you missed me near as much as I have you?"

  "Tsk-tsk!" Gyda said disapprovingly of the young woman's forward behavior.

  " 'Tis wanton of Linette to behave so in company," Aud told Gyda. " 'Tis more like a lowly thrall she acts than the well-born Viking widow."

  But then Gyda traitorously conceded, " 'Twould be nice to see Thork settle down and leave off the wanderlust. Even if it be with such as Linette."

  And Thork—the two-timing pond scum—didn't seem to mind the widow's attention a bit. In fact, he kissed her back—with relish! The brute!

  Ruby blinked to hold back the tears of hurt and jealousy. She couldn't let Thork see how much his infidelity bruised her heart.

  In answer to Linette's question about missing him, Thork squeezed her shoulders and replied, "More! More than you can know, dearling!" Then he looked directly at Ruby to make sure she'd heard his words.

  Dearling!

  So this was why Thork had ignored her all day. He'd known what awaited him here, and she was apparently no longer of any interest, if she had ever been. Ruby jumped out of the cart with the children' in as dignified a manner as possible under the circumstances. Her weary muscles screamed from the long ride, and she walked like an aged cripple when she attempted to move. With a heavy heart, she dusted the bits of straw that clung to her dark dress, knowing she looked a sight.

  Eventually, in the confusion of dismounting horses, greetings, unloading of baggage and orders being given to servants, Dar introduced Ruby to Aud.

  "Welcome to my home. I have many questions to ask you later about the interesting undergarments I hear so much about." Aud's eyes, so like Thork's, twinkled merrily. Ruby had brought a set of lingerie to give Aud later as a gift.

  Because of the large number of guests to be housed in the manor, Ruby would sleep with three of Gyda's oldest girls on temporary pallets in one small chamber. As they walked into the building, headed at Aud's direction toward that upper room, Ruby noticed that Thork and Linette were absent.

  It was going to be a long three weeks!

  Ruby fell asleep the minute her head hit the uncomfortable bed, heedless that it was little more than a board covered with a straw-filled sacking. Emotionally and physically exhausted, Ruby needed the restorative powers sleep would give her.

  The girls awakened her with their chattering early the next morning. Olaf had already warned her not to leave the manor without permission. She presumed jogging would be out of the question—for at least the time being.

  After refreshing themselves with soap and water, they visited the garderobe at the back of the manor, then went down to the great hall, where only servants moved about, and helped themselves to bannock and cold meats.

  Dar's enormous great hall combined elements of both Norse and Saxon decorations. Fierce-looking battle helmets, shields and swords covered one whole wall, reminding visitors that Vikings welcomed guests but would brook no insult to their homes or families. On the other long wall, tapestries depicting the Norse gods Thor and Odin contrasted sharply with one of the Christian St. George slaying a dragon.

  At one end of the hall, a massive stone fireplace in the Saxon manner dominated the entire wall, sharply different from the usual Viking household with its large open hearth in the center of the room. Many armchairs, now empty, were situated in clusters near it, for heat and conversation. Cooking was done in the separate kitchen she'd seen when they'd arrived yesterday.

  The girls went off to find their mother, and Ruby was about to explore the manor when she stopped in surprise. "Rhoda! I didn't know you were here! This is wonderful!" Ruby exclaimed.

  The stunned Rhoda-person looked behind her to see whom Ruby addressed, then stepped backward in fright as she realized—it was the strange woman from the docks talking to her. "My name... my name be Ella," she sputtered out. "Why do you address me by that other name?"

  Ruby hugged the shocked thrall, who backed farther away, and said, "You look like my cleaning lady Rhoda. I'm sorry if I've frightened you. It's just so good to see someone from home... well, someone I thought was from my home."

  "Cleaning lady?" Ella whimpered weakly.

  "The woman who cleaned my house two days a week."

  " 'Twould seem a poor household, indeed, what only has one thrall to keep it clean," Ella muttered. "Do you not have a cook and stableboy, as well, and bonders to till yer fields?"

  Ruby smiled.

  "No, I mostly do my own cooking, and we have no horses that would require a stableboy."

  Ella eyed her dubiously, obviously thinking her not the high-born lady she'd been led to believe from Ruby's claims of ties to the Duke of Normandy.

  Ruby saw Aud, with a huge ring of keys hanging from a circular brooch at her shoulder, enter a door which led to what seemed to be a weaving room. She gave Ella another quick hug and told her, "We'll talk later."

  She followed Aud into the room where an eight-foot-high loom with soapstone weights took up most of one wall. Huge baskets held shorn wool, and spinning wheels stood ready with their spindles for making the celebrated Yorkshire yarn.

  "Good mom," Aud greeted her. "Have you broken fast?"

  "Yes, and was about to explore your home a little if you don't mind."

  "Not at all. Chores I have pressing me now, or I would accompany you, but mayhap if you would seek out Linette she would give you the tour. Her chamber is the last on the right, at the end of the main hall on the second floor."

  "Perhaps I will." Not bloody likely! "Where is everyone?"

  "The women are still abed. The men have been up since dawn, out with the two prisoners, I warrant."

  Ruby departed, going upstairs first to get a shoulder mantle for her dress. The crisp morning air chilled her, as much as Aud's reference to the prisoners and Ruby's too-vivid image of their probable fate.

  After emerging from her room, Ruby's curiosity drew her to the end of the hall where Linette's door stood slightly ajar. She would just peek in a little, Ruby told herself, but when she saw it was empty, she stepped boldly inside. Apparently the manor was not so crowed that the fair Linette could not have a chamber to herself, one four times as big as the cubicle she and the three girls shared.

  And opulent! A soft Oriental carpet covered the cold rushes, and lightly colored embroidered ta
pestries brightened the stark walls. A canopied bed held center stage on a short raised platform, with rich handwoven hangings ready to enclose her when she slept. Beautiful dresses, mantles and hose lay about in disarray.

  Ruby decided she'd better make a quick exit before she was caught snooping. But then she chanced to look out the small, glassless window that overlooked the courtyard.

  Her mouth opened to scream, but no sound emerged.

  Ruby saw the two prisoners lying in the courtyard near the gatehouse, blood pouring in streams from the gaping sword wounds in their backs.

  Slapping a palm in horror over her mouth to stifle her screams, she noticed Thork and Olaf standing dispassionately with short swords in their hands, while one of the prisoners was still screaming out his death throes.

  Ruby couldn't bear to watch this cruelty and fled blindly from the room. Heading toward her sleeping chamber, Ruby staggered, losing her way in the misty shroud of her tears.

  Thork had killed a man with his own hands! His sword dripped another human being's blood—not in the heat of self-defense, but cold, emotionless rage.

  She didn't know this man! How could she have thought she did?

  Ruby pushed open the next door, thinking it was hers, and immediately saw her mistake. A naked Linette lay sleeping in the middle of a massive bed. The room was as large as Linette's but starkly masculine with heavy carved bedstead, chests and chairs before a cold fireplace.

  The hairs on the back of Ruby's neck prickled, and, like falling dominoes, the ominous sensation flickered down her spine to her toes, up to the top of her head and out to her fingertips. Ruby's eyes flew desperately around the room, and her heart lurched in recognition of the dark tunic and mantle Thork had worn the day before.

  It was Thork's sleeping chamber. And Linette had slept here with him last night.

  Ruby felt as if someone had kicked her in the stomach. She shouldn't have been surprised, but somehow in her subconscious she must have hoped that Thork had put on the spectacle with Linette yesterday for her benefit. What a fool she was! Ruby sobbed miserably and turned to flee.