by Bobbi Smith
Brage turned an icy glare on him. “Do not push our friendship. It was Dynna who turned me over to Edmund.”
Sir Thomas heard the hatred in his voice. He knew what had happened in the room that night with Sir Edmund and Dynna’s parents and it was obvious that Brage did not know the whole of it. “I fear you are misjudging her.” He started to explain what had happened. “Lady Dynna would never have—”
Brage cut him off, not wanting to hear a word of his defense of her. “I would expect as much from you. You defend her always, but do not champion her to me this time. There is no defending what she did.”
“There are times when one should use his heart and not his head when making decisions.”
“If I thought your way in my life, I would have been dead long ago.” Not wanting to listen to any more of Dynna, Brage stalked away. He knew her for what she was.
“Think on my words, Viking.” Sir Thomas called after him as he watched him go. He hoped that Brage would recognize the truth and learn the power of forgiveness.
Sir Thomas went in search of Dynna then, wanting to tell her of all that had happened and to bid her good-bye. He found her just as she was leaving the tower with Matilda.
“I knew one day I would leave this place for good, but I had never thought it would be to travel to the north lands,” she was saying as she passed through the gate for the last time. She had already said her farewell to the priests and servants and was on her way to begin a future that held no promise of happiness.
“At least we go together,” Matilda said.
Dynna paused. Her eyes were filled with warmth and tenderness as she gazed at her loyal companion. She touched her hand. “You are a true friend, Matilda. You, alone, are the reason I can bear what is about to happen.”
“Lady Dynna . . .”
Both women glanced around to find Sir Thomas coming toward them.
“Sir Thomas!” She dropped what she was carrying and threw herself into his arms. She hugged him to her as she had never done before. “What has happened to you? I feared what the Vikings would do once we reached here.”
“Brage is a fair and generous man, as is his father.” At her surprised look, he explained what Brage and Anslak had done for him. “And they have given the rest of the men their freedom, in return for future trade,” he added.
“Oh, Sir Thomas, that is wonderful! I cannot think of another who inspires more honesty and devotion from their men than you.”
“I am grateful to be worthy of their trust.”
Dynna wished she had Brage’s trust again, but she knew it was too late. “I am glad you will be happy here, my friend.”
“I want happiness for you, too, my lady.”
“I do not think that is possible anymore.”
“Do not fret,” he said, seeing the sadness in the depths of her gaze. “Brage seems a hard man at times, but I believe there is hope.”
Dynna gave a soft, despondent laugh. “If only you were right, Sir Thomas, I might have hope that my life had some meaning. But he hates me now. His heart is poisoned against me, and nothing will change that.”
“Have faith that time heals all. Do you love him?” he asked, having seen that emotion in both of them and wanting to confirm he had not been wrong.
She looked up at him. “I had planned to tell him the truth of my feelings that next morning before he was to leave to return to his home. But then Edmund came and the chance was forever taken from me.”
“He is an angry man right now, Lady Dynna, and rightfully so. He was betrayed by one of his own, and many of his men were killed. He seeks revenge for the wrong. I understand his need, but I doubt that he will ever learn the traitor’s identity.”
Sir Thomas thought of that night that seemed so long ago, of how the betrayer had spoken in a hushed, hoarse voice and how he had never been allowed to see his face. He himself would not be able to identify him now, even if he were face-to-face with him.
Sir Thomas continued, “And then just when he thought himself free to return home, he found himself believing he was betrayed by you.”
“But I had to save my mother’s life . . .”
“Who knows what lies Edmund told him? Only Brage knows now, and he will not talk about it or listen to any explanations.”
Dynna felt the sharp bite of Edmund’s cunning. Even in death, he had managed to cause her misery.
“I will do as you say, for there is naught else I can do.” He hugged her this time. “Go now, they await you.”
She glanced to where everyone had gathered.
“I will miss you, my lady.” He spoke from the heart. “And I will miss you, my friend. For always,” she said, as she kissed his weathered cheek.
Sir Thomas watched as she moved off with Matilda to make the trek to where the longships awaited them. He prayed that she would find happiness with Brage. She was a kind and beautiful woman. She deserved to live the rest of her life surrounded by love.
When they reached the longships, Dynna and Matilda were helped on board Brage’s ship. They sought what comfort they could find away from where the men manned the oars and settled in. They had heard the Vikings discussing the return trip and learned that it would be nearly a week before they reached Anslak’s village, Brage’s home.
As the longships pulled away from the shore, Dynna and Matilda watched the land fade from view. Neither spoke, for their emotions were in turmoil. They silently prayed that they would find peace, if not some kind of happiness, in their new lives far from the land of their births.
The days passed slowly as they headed ever northward. Dynna found herself watching Brage as he moved about the ship, comfortable in his command. She saw how the men responded to him and respected him. He was truly a trusted leader, a man among men.
Whenever Brage glanced her way, she always lowered her gaze, for she did not want to see the cold hatred she was certain would be in his eyes.
At night, Brage sought her out. He slept beside her, but did not touch her. One night, he awoke to find her nestled against him. He had ached to touch her, to caress the silk of her hair and bury himself within her, but he fought against the desire. He would not fall into her trap again. When he took her the next time, it would be coldly, without emotion, a quick tumble without the heart involved. He had gotten up and passed the rest of that night pacing the ship.
Several nights, Dynna found herself aching to reach out to Brage, to be in his arms and know his kiss again, but he made no overtures to her, barely speaking to her except in passing each day. Every morning when she awoke, he would already be gone to resume his duties, and she would feel a terrible emptiness inside, as if something vital was missing from her heart.
It was the third day out that Dynna noticed Matilda watching across the sea in the direction of another ship. “What about the craft interests you so?” she asked.
Matilda blushed a little as she glanced back at her lady. “Why, that is the longship that Ulf commands, Lady Dynna.”
“Ulf? You have feelings for him?”
She nodded.
“And how does he feel about you?”
“I do not know, but he was the one I begged to let me accompany you, and I am here.”
“Remind me to thank him when we finally make landfall.”
“I will. I think I will thank him once more myself,” she said as her gaze drifted back to the tall, broad-shouldered man who stood at the fore of the distant ship guiding it toward home. A slow smile curved her lips.
“I am glad you are finding some happiness in our situation.”
“I had worried that you and I would be separated. I could not have stayed behind and watched you sail away.”
“I only hope that in time I find happiness, too. You heard what Brage said that day in my chamber, that I am to be his slave when we return to his homeland.”
“Perhaps he will change.”
“I fear, Matilda, that my life is over. I would have lived in misery with Edmund, and now, it
seems, I will be living in misery with Brage. I will keep trying to make him understand the situation and pray that one day he will listen.”
Dynna caught sight of Brage out of the corner of her eye and turned to watch him moving among his men. He was smiling and laughing. How she longed for that smile to be directed her way!
Dynna dragged her gaze away from him to stare out to the open sea again. Somehow, she would find a way to prove to him that she loved him.
Nineteen
Brage stood at the prow of his ship, gazing at his homeland. From the high mountains to the clear waters of the fjord, its beauty never failed to touch him. He would have been celebrating the joyousness of his return had his thoughts not been focused on the driving force that had obsessed him all these weeks. The time had come. Soon, he would name the traitor.
For most of the voyage, Brage had been watching his men, hoping for a clue or hint that might help identify someone other than Ulf. But he had learned nothing new. Though there had been talk among the men of the treachery on the first raid, none of them had any idea who would have betrayed them to the Saxon lord.
Brage looked over toward Ulf’s vessel and saw his brother standing on the foredeck. Ulf looked the great leader. Ulf looked the proud Viking. Ulf looked the fierce warrior. But could he have been the conspirator? Had he been the one who had sacrificed Brage’s men?
As if sensing Brage’s gaze upon him, Ulf looked his way. Seeing that his brother was indeed watching him, he lifted his arm in salute of his return. Brage could see that Ulf was smiling, and he wondered how much it had cost him to pretend such happiness.
Brage looked away and glanced toward Dynna. He found her standing with Matilda near the stem, watching the passing scenery. Though he had slept each night by her side, he had deliberately treated her with cold indifference during the voyage. The memory of the passion they had shared would not be forgotten, and the knowledge that he loved her and had been about to declare it to her stung him. He had been a fool, mesmerized by her lovemaking and her lies. He still wanted her. There was no denying that, and once settled back in at his home, he would not deny himself the pleasure of her body. But he would never trust her again, because each kiss, each caress could be another betrayal.
The echo of the horns sounding their arrival came to Brage, and he looked toward the village. They were nearing the landing area. He could see the people hurrying down to meet them. It became real to him then that his weeks of torment were really at an end. It was over. He was free. He was home!
“What do you suppose will happen to us now, Lady Dynna?” Matilda asked a little nervously. The ships were slowing as they prepared to slide into shore, and another whole way of life was about to begin for them. The thought was frightening.
“I am to be Brage’s slave,” she responded sadly, looking up at Brage where he stood at the fore. Her heart ached as she watched him, and she knew he no longer felt any tender emotions for her.
“The outcome could have been worse,” Matilda said, trying to cheer her.
Dynna was puzzled.
“Sir Edmund could have been victorious. You could be facing a lifetime of living hell with him.”
Dynna managed a wan smile. “What you say is true. Perhaps being Brage’s slave will not be as terrible as it seems . . .” Dynna thought of how just his touch had once made her body sing with pleasure. She remembered his warmth and his caring. She would never know them again as his slave. Each day would bring new heartbreak as she struggled to live with her love for him.
As Brage’s longship pulled into shore, the two women stood close together, ready to face whatever the future in this foreign land held for them.
A roar of excitement went up among the villagers as they saw that Brage was at the fore of his own ship. He was alive! Anslak had brought him back as he had vowed to! Word spread quickly, and the throng increased as more and more poured forth to welcome Brage home.
Brage started to leave the ship, then thought better of it and turned to Parr. “Take the women to my home. I will be there shortly after I speak with my father.”
Brage left the ship and met his father and Kristoffer on the shore. As they started through the crowd, he heard a woman call his name.
Inger had heard the call of the horn and was one of the first to reach the hilltop overlooking the fjord. When she had seen that it was Anslak returning, she had raced to the shore to learn Brage’s fate. Now, seeing that he was alive, she could hardly control herself. Without a thought to those surrounding them, she launched herself at him.
Brage found the beauteous blond woman in his arms, her lips on his before he could say a word. He allowed himself to enjoy her embrace, then tried to free himself from her clinging presence. “Inger . . .” he said gently, “it is good to see you.”
“Oh, Brage! Thank the gods, you are back and you are safe!” Her hands went over his shoulders and trailed down his chest as she gazed up at him adoringly. Her spirits were soaring. Brage had come back to her, just as she had hoped he would. “We will celebrate tonight!” Inger told him, her eyes warm with promise.
“There will be a fine celebration at my home!” Anslak interrupted, saving Brage from the embarrassment of having to extract himself from Inger. “But for now, Brage—come with me. I am sure Tove wants to see you . . .”
Inger was left pouting, but still thrilled that he had returned. She would plan much for that evening. She wanted Brage for her husband and she would do what she could to entice him. She watched as he moved off to greet Anslak’s wife.
Tove had been busy and was one of the last to hear of the ships’ arrivals. She rushed down the slight embankment toward her husband and natural-born son, and Brage.
“You have returned, and with the Black Hawk!” She was smiling broadly as she greeted them, giving her husband a welcoming kiss as well as Kristoffer. She turned to Brage and regarded him proudly. “I am glad you are well. There has not been a moment’s peace since that dreadful day when Ulf and Kris returned with the news of the defeat at Alfrick’s hands. It is good that you are home.”
Her reminder of the lost battle pained Brage, yet he managed to smile at her. “It is good to be home.”
“Come to the house. We will begin the preparations now for a feast in your honor tonight. Mead and ale shall flow, and perhaps your father will open the fine barrel of wine he brought back from the east last winter.” She took Brage’s arm and led him off.
He went easily along with her, his father, and Kristoffer. He was glad to have been rescued so smoothly from the possessive Inger.
The men were pouring off the ships now, as the rest of the boats landed. It was a far happier time than the last time Ulf and Kristoffer had returned. Ulf’s ship was the last to pull in, and many had already moved off to rejoin their families before he came ashore. He stood on the beach staring after his father and Brage and the others, then turned away to find Inger behind him.
“You have done a fine job in returning him to me, Ulf. I thank you.” She was smiling at him, pleased with the day’s events.
“I did not return him just for you, Inger,” Ulf chided with a chuckle, seeing the gleam in the woman’s eyes and wondering how safe Brage was now that he was home.
“It matters not. He will be mine soon enough. You will see.” She started to move away when she caught sight of Parr bringing the two women from Brage’s ship. She stopped cold to stare at them. One woman was tall, dark-haired, and lovely, and though her clothing showed the wear of long days at sea, the quality of the garments declared her well-born. The other woman had hair the color of a fiery summer sunset. Inger recognized that she was dressed as a servant and so immediately dismissed her as unimportant. The dark-haired woman troubled her, though, and Inger called to Ulf.
“Who are these women aboard the Black Hawk’s vessel?” she asked, not taking her eyes off them.
Ulf knew Inger well and was not about to tell her more than she needed to know. “Two slaves Brage has claimed as
his due.”
“Slaves?” Inger laughed in relief. Still, it did bother her that they were going to be living in Brage’s home. She went forth to speak to them and to make certain they understood their place.
Dynna and Matilda were carrying their few possessions and following Parr inland when Inger approached. Dynna had seen the other woman throw herself at Brage and kiss him hungrily in front of everyone. She had been hard put to control the jealousy that reared up within her. Parr had ordered her to come with him just then, and so she had been reminded that she was no fine lady now. She was to be a Viking’s slave. Had she been possessed of lesser willpower she might have cried, but instead, Dynna stood even prouder as she followed Parr toward Brage’s home. Now, though, she was not sure what this woman wanted.
“Parr, I would speak to Brage’s slaves,” she announced, standing before him.
“Brage has told me to take the two to his home, and I must do so,” he countered.
“It will not take long,” she assured him, giving him a sweet smile.
He shrugged, knowing that she did have some favor with the Black Hawk.
Inger walked up to Matilda, looked her over as she would inspect a horse she was about to buy, then moved on to do the same to Dynna. As she eyed this one who was obviously a lady and was returning her regard with equal measure, she sneered, “You are slaves now. You are subject to Brage’s every wish and want, but remember—he owns you. You are pieces of property to him, nothing more.”
“We are aware of our positions here,” Dynna replied with a dignity and grace that amazed even her, considering the state of her temper right then. She had watched this woman kiss Brage and now was being forced to suffer her insults.
“Just in case you should need to be reminded, let me tell you that you are less important to Brage than his shield or his sword. You are of less value to him than his horse or his ship.”
Dynna gritted her teeth as she listened to the lecture from the arrogant Viking woman. “I suspect no woman could mean more to him than his ship.”
“Ah, there you are wrong. It will not be long before you must do my bidding as well as Brage’s, for once we marry, I will be your mistress,” Inger said, flaunting herself before this woman whose confidence annoyed her.
