acted as if nothing had happened.
Maybe she really hadn’t noticed, but she’d been up and dressed when
they’d returned from talking to Ingrid’s amma.
“So what’s he really like?” Brynja asked
Eliza. “Is he gentle when you’re alone, or is he the strong, fierce
warrior something that goes all the way to the sleeping
pallet?”
“He’s gentle,” Eliza confirmed. “Gentle as a
kitten with trimmed nails, most of the time. When he gets in a
mood, though, he makes his public persona look like the
kitten.”
Brynja grinned. “How many times have you lain
with him?”
“Brynja!” Ingrid exclaimed. “Not everyone
kisses and tells like you.”
“Pfft. Have I told you about your brother
Karl?”
Ingrid’s face turned crimson. “You did
not!”
“Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t.” Brynja winked
at Eliza. “So how many?”
“I’d rather not say…”
“You little minx, you haven’t even lain with
him yet, have you?” Brynja grinned. “I told you he would be saving
her. And everyone is so jealous.”
“Err… Well…” Eliza wasn’t sure what to say.
She’d made love with Kelnar many times, but now Brynja thought it
would be better if she hadn’t? These Viking women confused her.
“No, don’t try to claim you have now. The
secret is out.” Brynja looped her bone needle through her
stitching, pulling the string tighter. “There are those that resent
you, you know?”
“Believe me, I know. I ran into two of them
last night and it wasn’t pleasant.”
“Among the women, she means,” Ingrid said.
“The men just lust after things that are… exotic.”
Eliza raised an eyebrow, but kept silent when
Ingrid shook her head ever so slightly. “Well, I don’t intend to
cause strife amongst your people. I didn’t ask to be torn from my
village and dragged halfway across the world.”
“Halfway? The world is bigger than you think.
Why, my Elard says that—“
“Eliza, come speak with me a moment.”
Ingrid’s amma cut into the conversation. She beckoned Eliza with a
crooked finger.
“Sure,” Eliza said, rising.
The old woman took her a few paces away. “I
spoke to the witch Karna earlier. She says to move to another
longhouse tonight. There are men searching the village for you, but
Kelnar’s ship is already sailing home. She says he’ll be back in
the village in a few days’ time.”
“Why can’t I just stay here until then?”
“It will be safer if you move around. We
don’t know who the spies are, but if we move you every evening
after dark, they won’t have a chance to drag you out of bed
again.”
Eliza pushed a hand through her raven hair.
It sounded dubious. It sounded worse than dubious. If that’s what
her mother thought she should do, she didn’t see how she had much
choice. Kelnar meant to make her his queen, but he couldn’t do that
if she were dead or dragged off to one of the other villages.
“Very well.”
“Stay quiet there with Ingrid and Brynja.
We’ll get you moved after dark.” The little woman tottered away,
leaving Eliza to go back to her new friends.
“Is everything okay?” Ingrid asked.
“I think so. I’m moving to another house this
evening.”
Ingrid’s face fell. “That stinks. I was
looking forward to…”
“Well, it’s supposed to be for my own
safety,” Eliza said, trying to cover the silence.
“Ah, that’s too bad,” Brynja said. “I was
looking forward to more juicy stories.”
The two Viking girls passed the rest of the
afternoon sharing all the village gossip that Karna hadn’t known or
hadn’t deemed worthy of comment. It was a pleasant few hours, among
the most pleasant Eliza had spent since the Vikings had raided her
village. Well, other than the ones with Kelnar. Her thoughts
constantly returned to Kelnar, hoping he was safe, hoping that his
return was a result of success, and not something tragic.
Chapter 10
Enemies
The man that came for her had a limp and four
missing fingers on his right hand. He
Maybe she really hadn’t noticed, but she’d been up and dressed when
they’d returned from talking to Ingrid’s amma.
“So what’s he really like?” Brynja asked
Eliza. “Is he gentle when you’re alone, or is he the strong, fierce
warrior something that goes all the way to the sleeping
pallet?”
“He’s gentle,” Eliza confirmed. “Gentle as a
kitten with trimmed nails, most of the time. When he gets in a
mood, though, he makes his public persona look like the
kitten.”
Brynja grinned. “How many times have you lain
with him?”
“Brynja!” Ingrid exclaimed. “Not everyone
kisses and tells like you.”
“Pfft. Have I told you about your brother
Karl?”
Ingrid’s face turned crimson. “You did
not!”
“Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t.” Brynja winked
at Eliza. “So how many?”
“I’d rather not say…”
“You little minx, you haven’t even lain with
him yet, have you?” Brynja grinned. “I told you he would be saving
her. And everyone is so jealous.”
“Err… Well…” Eliza wasn’t sure what to say.
She’d made love with Kelnar many times, but now Brynja thought it
would be better if she hadn’t? These Viking women confused her.
“No, don’t try to claim you have now. The
secret is out.” Brynja looped her bone needle through her
stitching, pulling the string tighter. “There are those that resent
you, you know?”
“Believe me, I know. I ran into two of them
last night and it wasn’t pleasant.”
“Among the women, she means,” Ingrid said.
“The men just lust after things that are… exotic.”
Eliza raised an eyebrow, but kept silent when
Ingrid shook her head ever so slightly. “Well, I don’t intend to
cause strife amongst your people. I didn’t ask to be torn from my
village and dragged halfway across the world.”
“Halfway? The world is bigger than you think.
Why, my Elard says that—“
“Eliza, come speak with me a moment.”
Ingrid’s amma cut into the conversation. She beckoned Eliza with a
crooked finger.
“Sure,” Eliza said, rising.
The old woman took her a few paces away. “I
spoke to the witch Karna earlier. She says to move to another
longhouse tonight. There are men searching the village for you, but
Kelnar’s ship is already sailing home. She says he’ll be back in
the village in a few days’ time.”
“Why can’t I just stay here until then?”
“It will be safer if you move around. We
don’t know who the spies are, but if we move you every evening
after dark, they won’t have a chance to drag you out of bed
again.”
Eliza pushed a hand through her raven hair.
It sounded dubious. It sounded worse than dubious. If that’s what
her mother thought she should do, she didn’t see how she had much
choice. Kelnar meant to make her his queen, but he couldn’t do that
if she were dead or dragged off to one of the other villages.
“Very well.”
“Stay quiet there with Ingrid and Brynja.
We’ll get you moved after dark.” The little woman tottered away,
leaving Eliza to go back to her new friends.
“Is everything okay?” Ingrid asked.
“I think so. I’m moving to another house this
evening.”
Ingrid’s face fell. “That stinks. I was
looking forward to…”
“Well, it’s supposed to be for my own
safety,” Eliza said, trying to cover the silence.
“Ah, that’s too bad,” Brynja said. “I was
looking forward to more juicy stories.”
The two Viking girls passed the rest of the
afternoon sharing all the village gossip that Karna hadn’t known or
hadn’t deemed worthy of comment. It was a pleasant few hours, among
the most pleasant Eliza had spent since the Vikings had raided her
village. Well, other than the ones with Kelnar. Her thoughts
constantly returned to Kelnar, hoping he was safe, hoping that his
return was a result of success, and not something tragic.
Chapter 10
Enemies
The man that came for her had a limp and four
missing fingers on his right hand. He
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