What? He fumbled around his neck as if he might be imagining things, but the leather pouch was definitely gone. Not just that, but the cord it hung from, too.
‘Sissa!’ He roared her name, already knowing it wouldn’t do any good. She was the only one who could have taken it and he knew exactly the reason why!
He was on his feet in a second, strapping on his sword belt and sprinting out of the clearing. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears as well as his chest, like a hammer against an anvil as he leapt over rocks and fallen branches, hurtling through the forest like a madman, Halvar at his side. If he’d had any doubts about his feelings for Sissa before, he knew what they were now. If she’d put herself in danger, then he’d fight until the last breath left his body to save her. He’d take on every man in the village and more; he’d fight Joarr one-handed; he’d tear the whole place apart... Thoughts of violence coursed through his head, none of them quite able to distract from the fear gripping his chest.
He was running so fast he almost charged headlong into her. She was looking over her shoulder, unaware of him at first either, so that he had to dodge quickly to one side, skidding to a halt just before he barrelled into a ditch.
‘Sissa,’ he gasped her name, relief flooding through him as he braced his hands on his knees in an attempt to get his breath back. ‘You...where...what were you...?’
‘I’ve been to the village.’ She glanced back in the direction she’d come from. ‘But we need to get away from here. Hurry.’
‘Why?’ He jerked upright again, gripping his sword hilt and drawing the blade halfway from its scabbard. ‘Is someone following you?’
‘I’m not sure. I don’t think so.’ Her brows lowered. ‘It’s just a feeling. Your old friend Joarr doesn’t trust me.’
‘Did he say so? Did he threaten you?’
‘No, but I don’t trust him either.’ She touched his arm as if they were just out for a morning stroll. ‘Come on. We’ll cross the river and then climb part of the way up the mountain in case he tries to track us.’
‘I should stay and fight him.’ Danr glowered through the trees. ‘I’m ready.’
‘What would be the point?’ She put her hands on her hips with an exasperated look. ‘I went there to stop you taking foolish risks, Danr Sigurdsson. I’ll have wasted my time if you ruin things now.’
‘Ruin things? I was on my way to rescue you!’ He slid his sword back into its scabbard, his temper rising. ‘And you had no right to go there at all! You stole the pendants!’
‘I know, but we can argue about that later. As you can see, I didn’t need rescuing. Here.’ She shoved the leather pouch into his hands. ‘You can have them back now anyway. I’m finished with them.’
‘You’re finished with them?’
‘Hush!’ She reached up and clamped a hand over his mouth. ‘He won’t need to track us with all the noise you’re making. I said we can argue later.’
Danr fumed inwardly as she walked on again, his jaw tingling in the place where her fingers had just touched him, wanting to rant, but unable to deny the truth of her words either. He satisfied himself with a few muttered oaths, then followed grudgingly as they waded across the river and started to climb upwards.
‘Do I have permission to speak yet?’ He found his voice again when they turned to come back down the hillside, glaring at the back of her head.
‘If you must.’
‘Yes, I must. What do you think you were playing at, going there?’ He reached for her arm, spinning her round to face him. ‘I don’t understand. You’re the one who talks about being safe in the forest and not wanting to be around people. Then you go and do something like this! You put yourself in danger! Why?’
Her gaze faltered for a moment. ‘I told you, I want to help you get justice for your family.’
‘I said I didn’t want any help.’
‘I know, but it was a good idea.’
‘It was a damned good idea, but I told you not to go. You could have been hurt.’
‘But I wasn’t.’ She wrested her arm free. ‘Knut values my skills too much to let any harm come to me.’
‘Knut’s not the one you need to worry about. Joarr might have other ideas.’ He reached for her hand this time, needing to touch her, to assure himself that she was all right. ‘I was worried! If anything had happened to you I’d never have forgiven myself.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Her expression wavered. ‘I hoped I’d be back before you woke up. I shouldn’t have stolen your pouch, but it was necessary.’
‘No, it wasn’t! You were just lucky I slept longer than usual this morning, or I might have charged into the village after you and—Wait!’ He stopped mid-sentence. ‘That’s why you gave me the mead, wasn’t it? You wanted me to sleep longer! You planned this!’
‘Yes.’ She lifted her chin, her expression unrepentant.
‘You gave me that mead just so I would sleep! You tricked me?’
‘Not exactly. It’s not as if I poured it down your throat.’
‘It was still a trick.’ He ground the words out from between clenched teeth. Whether or not she’d forced him to drink anything, she’d done it with an ulterior motive. She’d done it to deceive him. It didn’t matter that she’d done it to help him. Just like at the massacre, he’d been tricked by a woman. Only this time it was a woman he’d trusted—a woman he loved. The betrayal felt ten times worse.
‘I’ll see you back at the roundhouse.’
‘Why? Where are you going?’
‘To make sure you’re not being followed!’ He shot her a savage look as she opened her mouth to object. ‘Not another word! I’m starting to think I preferred it when you didn’t talk. You do things your way. I’ll do them mine.’
* * *
Sissa heaved a sigh as Danr stormed away. It was a shame he’d woken up before she’d got back, but it couldn’t be helped. At least she’d done what she’d set out to do. She’d found out something important, something he’d want to know if he ever calmed down enough to come back and listen.
The extent of his anger had surprised her. She’d expected some, but she’d also expected him to calm down once he saw she was safe. She’d actually thought he might be glad she’d gone in his place, but he hadn’t even asked whether she’d seen Hilda, let alone shown her the pendants. Oddly enough, he seemed angrier about her giving him the mead than at her taking them, but it wasn’t as if she’d added a sleeping draught to his cup—although the thought had crossed her mind. All she’d done was make sure he’d had enough mead to ensure a heavy night’s sleep. Tricked seemed an excessive accusation.
She clicked her tongue for Tove. Halvar, as usual, had chosen to accompany Danr, which was probably a good thing under the circumstances. If Danr was too angry to be alert to potential dangers, then at least the wolf would notice them for him. Halvar would protect him, too, if it came to it, although she hoped it wouldn’t. She was probably imagining dangers that weren’t real anyway. Despite the granite look on Joarr’s face when she’d left, it had seemed to her unlikely that he would defy his kinsman, especially when he was living as a guest in his hall.
She made her way back to the roundhouse and scooped out some leftover stew from the pot over the fire pit. It tasted slightly burnt, but it was better than nothing. She ate a few mouthfuls, then fetched a needle and thread, trying to focus her attention on sewing. It was impossible. She stabbed her finger half-a-dozen times in the first minute before giving up. Maybe, after all, she had been in the wrong—about the mead anyway. Maybe she had gone too far and it had been an unfair trick, but her intentions had been good ones. She certainly hadn’t meant any harm. Not like—She pinched her lips and closed her eyes at the thought. Not like the woman who’d tricked him before, the one who’d lured him away while his family were slaughtered...
She stood up at the sound of footsteps, just in ti
me to see Danr emerge from the trees, his expression still as furious as before.
‘You tricked me.’ He stopped on the other side of the fire pit, levelling an accusatory glare at her.
‘Yes.’ She didn’t try to deny it this time.
‘You tricked me so that you could go against my wishes. Despite everything I said!’
‘Yes.’ She took a step forward. ‘It reminded you of her, didn’t it? The woman who seduced you?’
His lip curled. ‘I never thought I’d say this about you, but, yes, it reminded me of her.’
‘Then I’m sorry, but it was the opposite really. I was trying to help, not hurt you.’
‘And what if something had happened to you? Don’t you think that would have hurt me?’
‘I...’ She hesitated. ‘I didn’t think of it like that.’
‘No, because you’re determined to do everything on your own, aren’t you, Sissa? To live on your own, act on your own...’
‘What if I am? I make my own decisions!’ She could feel her own temper starting to rise. ‘You’re not my mate! You’ve no right to tell me what I can and can’t do.’
‘I do when the matter concerns me!’
‘Not necessarily. I let you stay on condition that you followed my rules, remember?’
‘Well, maybe it’s time for things to change.’
‘I decide if things change.’ She clenched her fists.
‘No, trust works both ways, Sissa, and you just betrayed mine.’
‘Only because I was trying to protect you. I didn’t want you to fight!’
‘Sometimes it’s the only way.’
‘But I didn’t want you to be hurt. I didn’t want to—’
‘What?’ His gaze sharpened as she bit her lip. ‘You didn’t want to what?’
‘Nothing.’ She turned her face away. ‘And aren’t you ever going to ask me what I found out about the pendants?’
‘You found something out?’ He tensed immediately.
‘Yes. I did.’
‘What?’
‘Maybe I don’t want to tell you.’ She folded her arms pointedly across her chest. ‘Especially if you’re determined to keep shouting at me.’
‘I’m not shouting.’
‘It sounds like shouting.’
‘Everything sounds like shouting to a woman who hasn’t spoken in five years!’
‘It’s still shouting!’
‘Fine.’ A muscle clenched in his jaw. ‘Then I apologise for shouting.’
‘And for being ungrateful.’
‘I’m not—’
‘Seeing as my plan worked.’
‘I’ll admit I overreacted, if you promise not to go anywhere near Joarr again.’
‘I’ve no intention of going near him. Why would I?’
‘And that you never trick me like that again, not for any reason.’
‘I already told you, it wasn’t like that. I was trying to help you.’
‘That’s it!’ He took three long strides and closed his arms around her.
‘What are y—?’ She didn’t finish the question, her voice muffled as he covered her mouth with his own. Instinctively, she jerked backwards, but he clasped a hand around the back of her neck, holding her in place as he kissed her with a hard, ardent fervour. For a moment she didn’t respond, too surprised to do anything, then she opened her lips and let his tongue slip inside. It felt good to feel his mouth against hers again, to feel the warmth of his body through his tunic, too, inviting her to press even closer... She leaned into him, spreading her hands over his shoulder blades while his other hand slid over her lower back, pressing her tight against him.
But they were arguing, weren’t they? a voice in the back of her head reminded her. He’d already made her care too much about him and now he was trying to tell her what she could and couldn’t do...
‘No!’ She moved her hands to his chest, pushing him away. ‘I was content before you came along! I was surviving. You can’t just come here and refuse to leave and talk too much and...steal my wolf!’ She flung an arm out towards Halvar. ‘You can’t say you’ve made some kind of vow about women and still kiss me! You can’t tell me how to live either!’
‘I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—’
‘You need to go.’ She balled her hands into fists. ‘I found out what you wanted. Hilda’s innocent.’
‘What?’
‘She didn’t have anything to do with your massacre, I’m sure of it. So you don’t have to fight anyone. You can just go and ask your questions and then leave.’
His face hardened again. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’
‘What?’
‘I’m not leaving you here on your own. It’s not safe. You need protection.’
‘I’ve managed perfectly well on my own for years!’
‘That doesn’t mean you’re indestructible. Even aside from the weather, it only takes one man to not be frightened of you, to come and find you...’
‘To get past Tove and Halvar?’
‘Even wolves can’t fight swords. And they don’t live for ever either. You’re too vulnerable here.’
‘That’s my choice!’ She glared at him angrily. Asking her if he could stay was one thing—telling her was something else entirely! ‘I never agreed that you could come back here, let alone stay. And what about your oath? You said it was more important to you than your own life. How are you going to fulfil it if you don’t get the answers you came for?’
‘I don’t know.’ He pushed his hands through his hair. ‘All I know is that you’re more important now. More than my oath, more than my life even. Sissa...’ He reached for her again. ‘I can’t stand the thought of anything happening to you. I was terrified today. I love you.’
She jumped away from him, feeling a cold sweat break out on her neck. The words ought to have been precious. Once upon a time they were ones she’d longed to hear, but that girl was long gone and all she could feel now was a rising tide of panic. He loved her and she loved him, only she hadn’t let herself acknowledge it until now. That was the real reason she’d gone to the village, because she’d been so scared of losing him, another person she loved.
I didn’t want to lose you. Those were the words she’d been going to say before, but it was all too much, too quickly. She wasn’t ready to hear him say he loved her—or to think it herself yet. But it was too late to unthink it and the realisation was terrifying. Despite all her efforts to protect her heart, he’d already found a place there. It made her even more vulnerable than he’d just said and she couldn’t bear the thought of being vulnerable again. Which meant that her only option was to send him away and tell him not to come back—not when his oath was fulfilled, not ever. She had to get her life back to the way it had been before he’d arrived and become invulnerable again.
‘Sissa...’ He was still looking at her. ‘Did you hear what I said? I love you.’
‘Kolga.’ She swallowed, amazed by how calm her voice sounded when she felt as if she’d just been shaken to her core.
‘What?’ He stared at her, his expression frozen.
‘I heard your stepmother whisper it to Joarr when she saw the pendants. Who’s Kolga?’
Chapter Eighteen
‘Kolga is the name of Hilda’s sister, but what does she have to do with anything?’
‘I don’t know, but that’s what I heard.’ Sissa dug her teeth into her bottom lip, apparently unable to meet his gaze any longer.
‘Kolga...’ Danr drew his brows together, wondering how they’d gone from his declaration of love to the name of his step-aunt in just a few short heartbeats. It was the first time in his life he’d said the words I love you, but either she hadn’t heard or she was choosing to ignore them. From the horrified expression on her face, it was obviously the latter. So much for taking a
second chance on happiness together. She looked as if she were about to be sick.
As for Kolga...she’d always hated his father, but there had never been any evidence linking her to the massacre. Until now.
‘Maybe you came after the wrong woman?’ Sissa said the words quietly, moving away to the other side of the fire pit.
‘Or maybe she and Hilda planned the massacre together?’
‘No. I saw her face. I didn’t see any guilt there.’
‘You don’t know her the way I do.’
‘I’m not determined to find her guilty either.’ She pursed her lips. ‘Now you can take a branch of peace and go and speak to her calmly. Just make sure Knut is there to watch Joarr.’
He gritted his teeth. ‘Are you trying to get rid of me now?’
For a moment her expression wavered and then went blank. It was the old impassive expression she’d been wearing the first time he saw her, as if she were retreating inside herself before his very eyes. ‘Yes. You came here for a reason, remember? You’ll never be able to carry on with your life otherwise.’
‘What about us?’ He was already bracing himself for the worst. ‘What about the fact that I just told you I loved you?’
‘I never asked for your love. I told you from the start, I live alone. That means for ever. Now you need to go and fulfil your oath.’ She hesitated briefly. ‘Leave me in peace, Norseman. I don’t want you to come back.’
* * *
Sissa bumped the cauldron painfully against her leg as she marched towards the river. She didn’t particularly want any water—it was starting to rain again anyhow—but she needed to put some distance between her and Danr. She’d told him to leave, which meant that she had to keep away until he’d gone so she wouldn’t be tempted to change her mind.
She glanced over her shoulder, making sure he hadn’t decided to follow her. He hadn’t. Neither had Tove nor Halvar this time either, the pair of them slinking off into the forest when she and Danr had started to argue. No doubt Tove would come and find her soon enough, but Halvar would probably still stay with his new favourite.
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