Viking's Love by Karolyn Cairns Page A

Viking refused her request for a bath. He even
laughed at her when she asked for soap. She frowned when she
thought of her captor’s treatment of her so far.
    Joran Ivarsson hadn’t been cruel to her. He
hadn’t beaten her as she thought he would. He listened to her
scathing abuse of him with a smile of patient amusement.
    Joran would find she was no meek-mannered
lady. If he thought denying her a bath would break her spirit and
humble her; he would find she would prefer her own filth. She’d not
give him the satisfaction of asking him again for water to
bathe.
    Allisande thought of Collin’s reaction when
he returned to their home to find it destroyed and bit her lip in
anguish. She loved her brother. Though he was four summers older
than her, they were close. She cringed of how he must feel. He was
much like their father in his pride and ambitions.
    Though she didn’t agree with him on matters
concerning her future, she knew he loved her. They argued bitterly
before he left for the king’s court in London. He promised to find
her a husband. She hurled abuse upon his head in response. How
dearly she would have liked to recant those rash words now,
wondering if she would ever see him again.
    Allisande stared at her hands and clasped
them to keep them from trembling. When it was known she was a
Viking’s captive, no man would have her. She would be ostracized.
While it had been her desire to remain unwed, it was quite another
thing to be declared soiled and scorned for matters beyond her
control.
    She had no control over the Viking carrying
her off. It was unfair, but there was little hope of a decent
marriage if she was ransomed back. Collin would be angry and seek
to avenge her. He had to deal with the reality at Lockwraithe on
top of all. She muttered under her breath when she wondered how
long she would remain the Berserker’s captive.
    Collin would have to beg funds to pay her
ransom. She pictured her handsome brother rushing off to court to
demand the nobles assemble and assist him to meet the Viking’s
price. She smiled in renewed relief. Collin would not let her
languish as a Viking’s captive for long.
    Allisande was brought out of her revelry from
the fearful cries of the serfs as they were rousted out of the
hold. They were brought out onto the deck. Her heart ached for them
and their fate.
    She would have liked to go to them and tell
them to be strong and face whatever their future held for them. Her
short tether only allowed her to get near enough to hear the
Vikings comment on how much each would bring at the auction.
    Her eyes narrowed to slits as they
discussed this amongst themselves. They
would be sold like cattle , she thought bitterly. The
thought made her feel ill. She felt fresh tears spring anew at the
thought of those gentle souls at the mercy of their Viking
captors.
    Her father’s people had all been born at
Lockwraithe, as were their parents before them. They would be
terrified to be in a strange country with such a barbaric race of
people governing them.
    She thought of Elspeth and cringed at the
girl’s desperate act. She couldn’t bear to face her own fate, but
whatever that was; she couldn’t take her own life to escape it.
    Allisande would live to see Joran Ivarsson
pay for what he did to her family if it was with her last dying
breath. She sat down huffily to wait for Stonehearted. She wondered
what he did to deserve such a nickname.
    Allisande shivered to recall the lack of
mercy during the raid. Thinking of the destruction of her home, she
stiffened with renewed outrage. She listened to the moans and cries
of the serfs as they were led off the ship with a hard lump in her
throat.
    Just then, the flap to the enclosure was
thrown back. The redheaded Viking named Grogan entered with young
Sarne at his side. Her violet eyes filled with dread to see their
grim expressions. Her chin came up despite the terror she felt
inside. Grogan approached and leaned down to jerk her up by